Johnson Sy, 42, was collared with two plastic sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride following the buy bust in New Manila.
Senior Inspector Roberto Razon of the Quezon City Police District’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group said the suspect could be a member of a drug syndicate operating in Binondo, Manila.
Police learned that Sy had roots in Xiamen, China and has been living in Greenhills, San Juan City.
Razon said his men contacted Sy based on information from past drug arrests of other Chinese nationals believed to be members of the same group.
Seized from Sy was P180,000 worth of shabu after the buy bust at the Petron gas station at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Broadway Avenue in New Manila.
The two transparent plastic sachets contained 48 grams of metamphetamine hydrochloride.
Razon said his operatives arranged to meet with Sy at around 3 p.m. at the gas station, through an informant who knew the suspect.
A Chinese-speaking informant acted as a mediator for Sy and a female police operative acted as poseur buyer.
The transaction was done inside the suspect’s parked car, during which a poseur buyer used fake paper money cut-outs and four pieces of marked P1,000 bills.
On a given signal, policemen swooped down on the suspect’s car and seized the shabu and drug money.