Anti-narcotics agents seized Monday night a total of P1.5 billion worth of shabu and arrested three Taiwanese men when they swooped down on the suspects’ rented houses in Las Piñas and Parañaque cities.
Senior Supt. Jemar Modequillo, Las Piñas police chief, said operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the city’s anti-illegal drugs unit carried out the raids after securing a warrant from Quezon City Executive Judge Fernando Sagun.
Modequillo said the agents first held Shih-Ming Tsai alias Art and Kuo-Chuan Cheng alias Alex during the raid on their rented at No. 21 Philam Life Village in Barangay Pamplona 2, Las Pinas City, at about 6: 30 p.m.
An hour after, another Taiwanese, Chun Ming Lin, was arrested in a separate operation at Unit 10 Executive Village Society, BF Homes, Parañaque City, according to Modequillo.
The police official said the three Taiwanese turned their rented houses into shabu laboratories.
He said the house being occupied by Tsai and Cheng is located at the very entrance of Philam Life Village, just opposite the guard house and beside a mall.
The raiding team seized from the duo 50 kilos of crystalline granules, 298 liquid methamphetamine hydrochloride and assorted laboratory equipment amounting to P1.7 billion.
Members of PDEA team led by Dr. Wilkins Villanueva said they found out that finished shabu products were already placed in a container and ready for packaging and distribution.
In the Parañaque City raid, PDEA agents confiscated 15 packs of shabu and 24 balikbayan boxes containing ephedrine powder.
According to the report of PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña, the drug raids in Las Piñas and Paranaque were part of the agency’s “Oplan First Blood” drive in line with President Duterte’s all-out war against illegal drugs.
PDEA officials revealed that the suspects’ houses had been placed under surveillance for one month prior to the raids.
The PDEA agents seized a total of 300 kilos of shabu with a market value of P1.5 billion in two separate operations.
The group is now investigating which drug syndicate is behind the operations of the two shabu laboratories, Lapeña said.
He added that charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act are being prepared for filing against the suspects. (JEAN FERNANDO)