Oplan ‘Dry Ice’ nets 2 Chinese with P1.5M ‘shabu’

Antinarcotics agents of the Eastern Police District (EPD) arrested two Chinese citizens who allegedly yielded a cache of “shabu” worth P1.5 million in a buy-bust operation in Pasig City on Thursday night.

Police said Qingjian Shi, alias Romy Shi, 40, and Benson Chua, 47 were caught with 400 grams of a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Chief Superintendent Laurel said the arrest took place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at the parking lot of a restaurant on Captain Henry Javier Street in Barangay Oranbo, after an undercover agent approached the suspects as a customer.

In a police operation code named “Dry Ice,” the poseur buyer arranged the transaction and pretended to be buying P6,000 worth of shabu.

As soon as the marked P500 bills were handed over to the Chinese men, other policemen who had strategically positioned themselves in the area emerged and carried out the arrest.

“The marked money worth P6,000 was recovered and would be kept as evidence to be presented in court,” Laurel said.

Police also seized two vehicles—a Honda wagon and a Mitsubishi van—from the suspects.

Laurel said Shi and Chua were believed to have trafficked drugs in Manila, Caloocan and Malabon. Niña Calleja