ARRESTED. Captain Tessie Lleva, Cogon Police Station Commander, presents Korean-American national Dong Young Kim to the media following his arrest for alleged illegal possession of drugs Friday (Aug. 16). (Jigger J. Jerusalem/davaotoday.com)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — A Korean-American national was arrested by law enforcers after he was allegedly caught using “shabu” or methamphetamine, an illegal substance, inside his hotel room in Barangay Lumbia on Friday (Aug. 16).
Dong Young Kim, 66, was caught right before holding a pot session with a police agent who posed as a buyer. He was staying at the Koresco Hotel when the buy-bust operation was executed.
“(Kim) has been selling shabu to Koreans living in the city,” Captain Tessie Lleva, Cogon Police Station Commander, said. “He is a retired soldier of the United States Army and has been using his monthly pension for his daily needs here,” she added.
It was said that he’s been living in the city for about eight years.
Based on his passport, Kim was born in South Korea but is an American citizen. He was divorced in his home country, but has reportedly kept a handful of Filipino girlfriends here.
Cogon Police considers Kim as a “high-value target.”
His clients are Koreans who are also avid e-bingo players. In 2016, he was arrested for the possession and selling of illegal drugs. However, charges against him was dropped, and he was eventually freed.
Undercover operation
Prior to his arrest, Cogon Police conducted a month-long surveillance on Kim where they found out that he gets his supply of drugs from a contact in General Santos City.
On Thursday night, during the undercover operation, Kim’s supplier didn’t arrive. The latter informed the suspect by phone that he cannot yet deliver the illegal substance.
Instead of calling off the operation, Lleva said an operative invited Kim to do drugs in his room.
Agents from the Cogon Police arrested Kim as they were about to start the pot session. Confiscated from him were two small sachets of suspected shabu.
Lleva said the suspect could be facing charges of illegal possession of drugs.
Kim refused to answer queries from reporters. (davaotoday.com)
