BIG CATCH. Law enforcers account for plastic bags containing PHP9.6 billion worth of shabu intercepted at a checkpoint in Alitagtag, Batangas province on April 15, 2024. The PNP on Friday (May 17) announced the arrest of the Canadian national who is allegedly linked to the shabu shipment in Cavite province. (PNA file photo)
MANILA – Authorities arrested a Canadian national allegedly linked to the PHP9.68 billion shabu shipment intercepted on April 15 at a checkpoint in Batangas province.
In a report released Friday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the suspect Thomas Gordon O'Quinn, also known as James Toby Martin, was arrested by members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Police Regional Office (PRO) 4A (Calabarzon) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) fugitive search unit in an operation in Barangay Maitim II, Tagaytay City in Cavite province at around 9 p.m. Thursday.
The BI earlier issued a mission order against O'Quinn, who is the subject of a red notice by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for conspiracy to possess, export, and distribute illegal substances into the United States with a penalty of life imprisonment.
Law enforcers tracked O'Quinn's location through a series of intelligence operations.
He was also positively identified by Alajon Michael Zarate, the driver of the van carrying the intercepted contraband who was earlier arrested.
The suspect yielded two medium-sized vacuum-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu; one medium-sized plastic sachet containing cocaine; one small plastic sachet containing tablets suspected to be illegal drugs; 14 pieces of identification cards depicting the photograph of the subject using different names; four bank cards; seven mobile phones, 14 SIM cards and a wallet containing cash worth PHP3,600.
The suspect along with the pieces of evidence recovered was brought to the Regional Special Operation Group-Regional Intelligence Division (RSOG-RID) of NCRPO for documentation and proper disposition.
O'Quinn is alleged to be the foreigner who rented a yacht to transport the narcotics through the waters off Nasugbu town.
He was also the one who purportedly rented a house in the same town, which was raided by police teams on April 19 by virtue of a search warrant issued by the court for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
The suspect, however, evaded the raid. (PNA)
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