Korean, 2 others nabbed in Marikina drug bust

MANILA, Philippines - A Korean man, his wife and their landlord were arrested in a drug sting in Marikina City Sunday.

Hee Hwang, 37; his wife Sheryl Cruz, 30, and Raymond Paulino, 46, yielded five sachets of shabu, P500 marked money and drug paraphernalia at their house on Raja Matanda street in Barangay Parang at around 10:30 p.m.

Hee reportedly sells the drugs while his wife acts as a runner or scorer, said Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, Eastern Police District director. 

He added that Paulino owns the house Hee and Cruz use as the base for their drug peddling operation.

Senior Superintendent Lorenzo Holanday, Marikina police chief, ordered a sting to catch Hee and Cruz following reports they are behind the proliferation of illegal drugs in the barangay.

Hee failed to show documents to support his continued stay in the country, Holanday said.

In Caloocan City, alleged pusher Pablo Soriano, 38, was cornered by at least eight men on four motorcycles at the intersection of J.P. Rizal and Pasig streets at past midnight yesterday.

The assailants repeatedly shot Soriano, who reportedly supplied shabu to several barangays in Caloocan, said Senior Inspector Ilustre Mendoza, city police investigation chief.  

“You would think it was New Year’s Eve. Some of the men were wearing jackets and bonnets, while the others were wearing half masks,” said TJ Santos, who witnessed the incident.

Soriano was shot at least 30 times and some of his bones were broken by bullets fired at close range, Santos said.

Investigators recovered at least 20 spent shells of different calibers from the crime scene.