A Nigerian national, Emmanuel Chinedu Ejike has been arrested with Crystal meth valued at P136,000 during an anti-illegal drug operation in the Philippines.
Angeles City police director, Colonel Juritz Rara, in a statement on Thursday, February 9, 2023, said the 27-year-old suspect of Camachiles village, was arrested late Wednesday night at Ninoy Aquino village.
Rara said the Nigerian national is a high-value individual on the police list of drug personalities, adding that the operation was coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
At past 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Angeles City police, with operatives from the province and region, conducted the buy-bust operation against the suspect.
The officers allegedly confiscated some 20 grams of suspected crystal meth from Ejike and recovered the marked P1,000-bill placed atop the nine pieces of boodle (play) P1,000 bills.
Rara said Ejike faces charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
''Angeles City Police Office under the leadership of PCOL JURITZ B RARA, City Director, in its continuous fight against criminality particularly the proliferation of illegal drugs, arrested EJIKE, EMMANUEL CHINEDU alias ELIAS (HVI/Listed), Nigerian National, male, 27 years old, residing at Purok 1, Brgy Camachiles, Mabalacat City, Pampanga,'' the statement read.
"Based on the report, at about 10:03 PM of February 8, 2023, joint operatives of Angeles City Drug Enforcement Unit (lead unit), City Intelligence Unit, Police Station 6, SOU3 PDEG and RPDEU3 led by PCPT TRISTAN JAY O MANUEL, Deputy Chief, ACDEU conducted a buy-bust operation in coordination with PDEA at Riverside Interior, Brgy Ninoy Aquino, Angeles City, which resulted in the arrest of the suspect.
"Confiscated from the suspect were one brown pouch and three (3) pieces of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu (including the product of the sale), while the one (1) piece 1000-peso bill marked money together with nine (9) pieces of 1000-peso bill boodle money were likewise recovered. The seized suspected shabu has an estimated weight of more or less 20 grams with an estimated DDB value of Php 136,000.00.
"Mandatory witnesses were summoned to witness the marking of confiscated pieces of evidence and to sign the inventory in compliance with Sec 5 in Relation to Section 26 and Section 11, Art II of RA 9165. Arrested suspect together with the marked confiscated pieces of evidence were brought to ACDEU for documentation and filing of appropriate charges.
''The Angeles City Police Office will continue in its unwavering efforts to eradicate all forms of illegal activities to ensure peoples? safety inside and outside their homes. We will continue to revitalize our anti-criminality campaigns to identify and arrest criminals to bring them to the folds of the law."