The National Capital Region Police Office ( NCRPO) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confiscated around P7 million worth of illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation in Caloocan City early Wednesday morning.

Joint operatives arrested Jaymark Mercene, 18, during a buy-bust operation around 1:30 am inside Marsman Hotel, along Rizal Ave., corner 2nd Ave., Grace Park in Caloocan City.

Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO head, said this was a followup from their previous operation two weeks ago against a criminal gang group led by Edgardo Mongado Co Jr. who were engaged in illegal activities in the southern part of Metro Manila.

"He is the trusted man of Edgardo... but the other members were not around during the operation," he said.

Eleazar said the operation was supposed to happen at a gasoline station in Pasay City but they changed location.

The suspect told Eleazar it's his first time in transacting illegal drugs after receiving P2,000 but the NCRPO chief told him was an overused excuse of arrested drug suspects.

"First time? That was always the reason of those we arrested," he said.

Authorities yielded a total of 1,050 grams of shabu packed inside a Chinese green tea bags with a street value of P 7,140,000.

"This (kind of packaging) is already everywhere. The way they pack (the illegal drugs) inside the tea bags are all the same," said Eleazar.

The NCRPO chief believed this group is one of the "downline" of the Chinese drug syndicate that shipped billion worth of shabu inside magnetic lifters last year.

"They are being used for distribution. Remember, these large entry of illegal drugs will not reach the end-user or be sold at street level without using a drug peddler or distributor," said Eleazar.

The suspect will face separate charges for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Eleazar said they will continue their operation against the group.

“With the arrest of this trusted man of the leader, we will continue our (operation) until we arrest the other members," he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS