By AARON RECUENCO
Anti-narcotics agents seized late Tuesday night some P2.5 billion worth of shabu following a buy-bust in Makati City, the biggest drug haul for this year.
Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said that the operation also resulted in the arrest of a Chinese, identified as Liu Chao, who was described as the safekeeper of the seized shabu.
“What happened was that it started as a buy-bust on Banuyo Street in Barangay San Antinio. This is where the 371 kilos of shabu were confiscated,” said Gamboa.
The shabu were hidden in large travelling bags.
Police said the illegal drugs were ready for distribution.
Gamboa said that Chao rented an apartment in Makati City two weeks ago, the purpose is for the storage of illegal drugs.
But Chao reportedly started selling shabu through his contacts, which in turn, resulted in the police monitoring it.
“There were a series of test buy, from one kilo to six to seven kilos. After this, an operation was conducted last night (Tuesday),” said Gamboa.
Realizing that he was transacting with a policeman, Chao ran away and went inside the apartment where the police found the shabu.
Authorities have been declaring that there are no longer shabu laboratory in the country, raising question as to where the seized shabu came from.
Gamboa said that they believed the illegal drugs were possibly smuggled anew.
“”This is usually transported by air or by sea. But definitely, these came from outside (country),” said Gamboa
After the illegal drugs were received by local contacts, they were then distributed in various parts of Metro Manila and other areas.
At the height of the drug war, some trusted men of President Duterte were dragged into controversy on the repeated smuggling of tons of shabu through the Bureau of Customs.
The officials implicated in the shabu smuggling were sacked but were appointed to new positions.
