Vietnamese apprehended over illegal drugs trading
Both ketamine and ecstasy are ‘classified as dangerous drugs under Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002’
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a Vietnamese national in Makati City for alleged illegal drug trafficking.
Authorities identified the suspect as Pham Tien Thanh, who was apprehended during an entrapment operation conducted by operatives of the bureau’s Organized and Transnational Crimes Division (NBI-OTCD) on 21 January 2025.
The NBI said the Vietnamese national was caught “in flagrante delicto” selling ketamine and ecstasy.
Agents seized ketamine with a total net weight of 51.4596 grams and methylenedioxymethamphetamine —commonly known as ecstasy — with a total net weight of 13.3755 grams.
It said that both ketamine and ecstasy are “classified as dangerous drugs under Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.”
Following the arrest, the Vietnamese national was charged before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Sections 5 and 11, Article II of RA 9165, in relation to RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
The entrapment operation was conducted after the NBI received information that a Vietnamese national identified as alias “Liu and his unidentified cohorts were engaged in online peddling of illegal drugs, specifically ketamine and ecstasy, posted through the Telegram platform.