P2-B shabu seized in Subic

MANILA, Philippines - Government agents seized some 400 kilos of shabu worth P2 billion and arrested six people caught loading them in a parked van in Subic, Zambales yesterday afternoon.

Two suspects reportedly evaded arrest.

Authorities believe the methamphetamine hydrochloride was being repacked in a house in Sta. Monica Subdivision in Barangay San Pedro, Subic before transport to Metro Manila.

Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia, Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) spokesman, said the syndicate had converted the house into a warehouse of illegal drugs.

“These illegal drugs are being kept there as a final stop before distribution in Metro Manila and nearby areas,” he said.

Merdegia said the raiders arrived as the suspects were already on their way out of the subdivision.

“We really worked hard for this for more than five months, and it paid off,” he said. “This is the biggest amount of shabu that was confiscated as far as I know.”

Authorities are still in the process of verifying the origin of the illegal drugs and the gang behind the operations, Merdegia said.

Senior Superintendent Bartolome Tobias, an AIDSOTF officer, said various government agencies joined forces to stop the flow of illegal drugs in the country.

“After five long months of joint surveillance operation, we were able to embed an undercover inside the group to find their stockroom,” he said.

As of press time, the raiders are still in the process of accounting, documenting and analyzing the quality of the shabu seized.

The multi agency operation was comprised of units from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Bureau of Customs, according to AIDSOTF officer Superintendent Ismael FajardoJr.