SPD to intensify drive against illegal drugs in upscale BGC clubs

MANILA, Philippines -- Anti-illegal drug operations will be intensified in posh clubs in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City affter the arrest of three alleged drug traffickers on Saturday in Taguig and Pasig, the Southern Police District said.

 

Senior Inspector Wilfredo Sangel, head of the SPD’s District Anti-Illegal Drugs unit said charges for illegal possession and trafficking of drugs were filed yesterday against suspects Evan Reanald Baylon, 36; Emilio Lim, 32; and his girlfriend radio DJ Karen Bordador, 31.

 

First to be arrested last Saturday was Baylon, who was nabbed at about 1:25 a.m. inside the Palace Pool Club shortly after receiving P8,000 from an undercover police officer in exchange for eight tablets of ecstasy or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDA).

 

Police officers from the SPD’s anti-illegal drug unit also seized an additional 10 brown tablets, suspected to be ecstasy, in ziplock bags from Baylon.

 

When questioned, Baylon identified his source of the ecstacy tablets as Lim, who was arrested on Saturday night at his unit at the Skyway Twin Towers condominium in Pasig City. Bordador was also arrested there.

 

Sangel said the 500 tablets seized from Lim and Bordador all tested positive as ecstacy tablets with a street value of at least P2 million. Also seized during the raid conducted by the SPD and the Pasig City Police were dried marijuana leaves and marijuana resins.

 

According to Sangel, marijuana resin has no distinctive smell when smoked.

 

Sangel said prior to the arrests, the suspects were the subjects of a surveillance operation for almost three weeks.

 

According to Sangel, all three arrested suspects have not given police any additional information as to who their buyers or regular customers are. The three have also refused to reveal their other drug trade contacts, Sangel said.

 

“They have been advised by their lawyers to remain silent. But we know that they are supplying these party drugs to bars and clubs in Makati, at the BGC and at Libis,” said Sangel.

 

Sangel said that with the arrests of the three suspects, the SPD would be intensifying its operations in clubs at the BGC. 

These operations, he said, would include undercover police officers who will not only conduct surveillance, but will also act as poseur-buyers in sting operations.

 

“We expect that they (drug peddlers) will lie low following the recent arrests made. But we are also confident that we will be able to make additional arrests especially now that the clubs and bars at the BGC have expressed their cooperation,” he said.