By Romie A. Evangelista

In what appears to be a knee jerk, authorities barged into the cells holding Taiwanese nationals at the Quezon City Jail following reports that they were dealing drugs right under the nose of guards.

The operation on Friday was prompted by a complaint of former Senator Vicente Sotto, now chief of the Dangerous Drugs Board, indicating that the detainees were on business as usual and enjoying VIP treatment.

Jail director Rosendo Dial and his staff were able to seize two cellular phones, P18,000 cash, nail cutters, belts and lighters.

Sources said at least 20 Taiwanese inmates, who were arrested separately for drug dealing, could have anticipated the raid at the annex building.

Jail Chief Insp. Alberto Tapiru, civil relations service officer-in-charge, said no contraband was found.

?The two cellular phone?s SIM cards unusually had no saved messages and numbers in their memory. Only registered calls which were ordered traced by the jail chief were found,? Tapiru said in a statement.

?The cell phones were voluntarily smashed by the inmate-owner in the presence of jail officials. The SIM cards were confiscated and properly entered into the jail inventory,? he added.

Sotto?s expos? must have served as a wake-up call.

?We will totally eradicate the entry of contrabands inside the jail,? vowed Dial, adding that the warden and the officer on duty have a lot to explain.