MANILA, Philippines — A tattoo artist was arrested after he was caught selling P50,000 worth of cocaine during an illegal drugs buy-bust operation conducted by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

QCPD director Chief Superintendent George Regis yesterday identified the suspect as Vincent Andrew Velasquez, a resident of 3132 BLPC, Barangay Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Regis said that the suspect was arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by operatives of the QCPD’s District Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Group (DAID-SOTG) at around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Inspector Hector Ortencio, chief of the DAID-SOTG, said that operatives seized from the suspect 25 grams of cocaine contained in two tea bags that he sold to the buyer poseur for P50,000.

Apart from this, police seized the suspect’s Toyota MR2 sports car (ZFD-989) that he was driving where operatives also found 26 tablets of diazepam, a bundle of marijuana weighing 485.62 grams, and a roll of marijuana.

Ortencio said that the suspect also tagged as his supplier. He declined to identify the supplier due to ongoing follow-up operations.

However, the supplier was nowhere to be found when police arrived that same night at the place where he stays, Ortencio said.

Investigator PO2 Rolando Alieger said that an informant approached the office of the DAID and told them about the illegal drug activities of Velasquez.