A Manila Police official is now investigating the so-called “foreign puppeteer” behind the strings of abortion drug trade that seemingly prospers in Quiapo District despite the left and right arrests and raids being conducted by authorities.

The investigation was underway following the arrests of Edna De la Cruz, 33, of 2nd street , Manila North Cemetery, Blumentritt, Sta. Cruz in Manila and Juliet Rondario, 28, of No. 24 Basan Street., Quiapo, Manila, both alleged vendors of the so-called Cytotec pills, an anti- ulcer drug commonly used by pregnant women to induce abortion.

Supt. James Afalla, station commander of Manila Police District (MPD) Station 3, said they are now trying to pin down the supposed foreign syndicate that had been smuggling Cytotec in Sta. Cruz district.

Afalla, however, declined to name the supposed international group and the country where the supposed pill was coming from. “Those pills were being smuggled here from another country. What we are investigating now as to how the pills were being smuggled in the country,” he said.

Investigation disclosed that the arrest of two vendors was made at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila.

During the conduct of the buy-bust operation, Police Officer 2 Angelito Espiritu of the MPD-Station 3 was able to purchase marked P400 four Cytotec tablets from the suspects.

When frisked, the duo yielded 10 more tablets of assorted Cytotec and ferrous sulfate.

Both de la Cruz and Rondario admitted selling Cytotec tablets among other herbal vendors on a consignment basis, but did not name her source. Afalla said the vendors were using herbal medicines as front for their illegal activities.

Last year, Manila policemen had arrested at least two Pakistani national — one of which was the alleged doctor that has been supplying the said tablets in Quiapo, Manila — during a buy bust operation The foreign nationals, identified as as Mohammad “Khalid” Akhtar, 43, an alleged physician and his nephew Arshad “Habiz” Adnan, 26, were however been freed after “certain technicalities” in court.