A NIGERIAN national was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Central Visayas inside a motel for allegedly selling illegal drugs in North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City last Tuesday night.
James Cunta Okwudili Uyanneh, 53, was caught in a buy-bust conducted by the team led by supervising agent Bernard dela Cruz.
Seized from his possession were two packs of suspected shabu weighing around 70 grams and worth P350,000.
The packs were concealed in a cardboard, which was also wrapped in a shower curtain.
Dela Cruz, a lawyer, said they have placed Uyanneh under surveillance for four months, after they were tipped off regarding the foreigner's alleged illegal activity. The suspect allegedly has a partner.
"Ang alarming ngayon ay nagbebenta na sila sa street," he said.
NBI-Central Visayas Director Antonio Pagatpat said they will coordinate with NBI headquarters in Manila to check if Uyanneh is connected with a syndicate.
Uyanneh denied he sells drugs. He said he is a businessman and operates Eco Pacific Global Link, which sells crude oil.
"This is the first time that I am in handcuff," he said.
Uyanneh and Pagatpat had an argument after the press conference, when the foreigner questioned the legitimacy of his arrest.
His company, he said, is registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
He also said that he is a member of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is from Onitsha City, Nigeria.
The suspect said he arrived in Cebu City sometime in February 2007 and chose the place for it is peaceful. He has a wife and five-year-old daughter. (KAL/Sun.Star Cebu)