Operatives from the Makati Police apprehended a Columbian national last Tuesday evening who yielded 1,608 grams of liquid cocaine with an estimated street value of P8,522,400 during a controlled delivery operation at Barangay San Antonio in Makati City.

Police identified the suspect as Antonio Cordero, a resident of Facatativa, who was arrested in the sting operation conducted by the Bureau of Customs (BoC)-Port of Clark, Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU), Makati City Police Station-Palanan Sub-Station 2 and the Aviation Security Unit 3 (AVSEU 3).

It also included operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Clark Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (CRK-IADITG), PDEA SES K9 Unit, PDEA IS, PDEA RO III, and PDEA RO NCR.

Initial reports disclosed that the probe started on 13 June 2024 when a parcel containing illegal drugs was shipped from Bogota, Colombia, and consigned to Cordero. The parcel, which was misdeclared as “Clothing Reminders Hatscapi Product,” was intercepted by a cargo company and turned over to the BoC on 21 June 2024.

Subsequent examinations by the BoC revealed three plastic bottles containing a yellowish liquid that tested positive for cocaine. A controlled delivery operation was then launched, leading to Cordero’s arrest.

Authorities ensured that the arrest followed proper procedures, including recording the arrest with an audio recording device and informing Cordero of his rights. The seized substances were also marked, inventoried, and photographed in the presence of witnesses.

Cordero is currently under the custody of the PDEA Regional Office 3 for further investigation and filing of charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.