P15-M shabu seized from drug queen, daughter

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) seized more than P15 million worth of shabu from a 72-year-old Taiwanese drug queen and her daughter in separate operations in Mandaluyong and Manila before dawn yesterday.

Yu Yuk Lai, alias Yuk Lai Sze and Anna Sy Balmeo, was caught with P5 million worth of shabu and bank checks when agents enforcing Oplan Galugad searched her cell at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong at around 4:30 a.m.

Authorities said Yu is linked to drug lords Ben Marcelo, Jaybee Sebastian and Peter Co, all inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Yu reportedly spent most of her time after her conviction at the Metropolitan Hospital in Binondo, according to unconfirmed reports.

Her daughter, Diane Yu, was arrested when agents, bearing a search warrant, raided her unit at the Gy J Condominium in San Miguel, Manila near Malacañang three hours later. 

PDEA director general Aaron Aquino alleged that Diane used her rice retailing business as a front for her illegal drug activities. 

She was reportedly a contracted supplier of CIW’s catering facility  and had a special VIP access, which paved the way for her to smuggle shabu and contraband into the facility, he said. 

Diane reportedly tried to offer P5 million so the agents would not confiscate the drugs, Aquino said.

Diane claimed the seized drugs were planted by lawmen.

She reportedly had two bodyguards – Police Officer 3 Walter Vidad of the Special Action Force and a still unidentified member of the Presidential Security Group, officials said.

PDEA Special Enforcement Service director Levi Ortiz said they have been monitoring the Yus for more than a month.

Ortiz said they found out that cohorts of the elder Yu were able to smuggle illegal drugs into the prison by stashing the shabu inside sacks of rice and other goods. 

Agents found 135 grams of shabu, worth almost P1 million, packed in pantyliners while another two kilos were found in packs and jars in Yu’s cell.

Yu had been selling the shabu-packed pantyliners for P5,000 to P25,000 per piece and PDEA said its informants were able to buy from her.

Aside from the shabu, a million capsules said to contain illegal drugs and a million more empty capsules were seized inside the cell.  

Bank transaction receipts and checks – with transactions amounting to no less than P2 million – as well as ATM cards were also recovered in Yu’s cell. They will be investigated by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, PDEA said.

Yu was convicted for possession of illegal drugs in 2001 and has since continued her illegal drug trade under the radar while authorities focused on the drug trade at the NBP, officials said.

Ortiz confirmed that Yu could be part of a bigger drug group that has links to convicted drug suspects at the NBP.

During the implementation of a search warrant, P10 million worth of shabu was also seized from Yu’s daughter, who denied the allegations.  

Ortiz added that they still have to investigate the possible involvement or lapses of CIW officials and employees. 

All 180 CIW employees were ordered to undergo  drug tests following the operation, the first conducted in the correctional facility.

Both suspects face charges for the violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.