Foreign recruiters of executed drug courier fall in QC sting operation

UPDATED 1:50 p.m. - Philippine authorities, in a sting operation in Quezon City before dawn on Tuesday, arrested two foreign nationals believed to be members of a South African drug ring that was said to have recruited one of three Filipino drug mules executed in China in March. In an interview over dzBB radio, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) spokesperson Derrick Carreon said operatives of their agency arrested two suspected members of the West African Drug Syndicate (WADS) during a buy-bust operation on Tuesday. Carreon identified the two suspects as Samuel Egbo, a 34-year old Nigerian, and Yunjin Choi, a 22-year old Korean. He added that Egbo was the recruiter of Batain, according to a confidential informant who was also a former drug courier. The two suspected members of WADS were arrested in a restaurant at Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City at 4:45 a.m. Recovered during the operation was a half-kilo of cocaine which costs about 2.5 million pesos. Carreon was referring to Elizabeth Batain, one of three drug mules executed in China on March 30. Also excuted on that day were two other convicted drug couriers: Sally Villanueva and Ramon Credo. According to Carreon, drug recruiters are deceiving potential female drug mules by courting and befriending them. "Ang modus ay nililigawan ang mga babae," Carreon said. Carreon said the arrested female Korean thinks that Egbo is her boyfriend. Carreon assured that PDEA is also looking for the other members of WADS in the country, noting that they have coordinated with other agencies such as the Bureau of Immigration. On April 19, two other suspected members of WADS were arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation, where Vice President Jejomar Binay praised the agency for scoring in the fight against illegal drugs. - with Emmanuel Louis Bacani, VVP, GMA News