Indian yields P1-M party drugs’ in Makati

A month-long surveillance operation on a suspected drug supplier in southern Metro Manila paid off with the arrest of an Indian national who yielded more than P1 million worth of “party drugs” such as ecstasy and Ketamine.

The police said Prakash Gulraj Mahtani, a resident of Teka Street in Makati City, did not resist when a joint team from the Southern Police District and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested him in a drug bust Monday night.

Supt. Lorenzo Trajano, head of the SPD antidrugs unit, said Mahtani was caught selling P5,000 worth of Valium to an undercover agent on Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.

When frisked, he yielded 4,400 Valium tablets; 13 tablets of ecstasy; five sticks of marijuana; 30 vials of Ketamine, which is known as a date-rape drug; 5,160 Mogadon tablets; 560 Xanax tablets; 750 Nitravet tablets; 700 Nitrosum tablets, and 20 Cialis tablets.

Also seized from the suspect were 380 Zopalet tablets; 150 Alpraquil tablets; 30 Bitarin tablets; 80 Dormicum tablets; 200 Pinix tablets and 40 Rivotril tablets.

“Some of the drugs were in his backpack, others were found in the U-box of his motorcycle,” Trajano said, adding that the Indian national had been under surveillance for over a month.

It remained unclear where Mahtani got the drugs or whether he was part of a larger syndicate.

All he would tell the police was that he usually sold drugs to a Pakistani national who would then distribute these in southern Metro Manila, Trajano said.

“He’s just saying there’s [another] foreigner in the picture,” Trajano said.

Charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act were set to be filed against Mahtani.

The confiscated drugs were turned over to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory field office in Makati City for examination.