Court set to rule on 2016 floating shabu lab case
MANILA, Philippines —A local court is expected to rule Friday on the case of a floating shabu laboratory seized off the coast of Subic in Zambales on July 2016.
The Olongapo RTC Judge Raymond Viray will rule on the government’s case against four Chinese men from Hong Kong arrested in the operation conducted in July 2016.
Should the prosecution secure a conviction, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that “this will be the first major illegal drug manufacturing conviction under the President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.”
The Justice chief added: “Our prosecutors are confident that they will secure a conviction.”
Police operatives raided the suspected floating shabu laboratory disguised as a 50-meter fish carrier vessel in 2016.
The authorities arrested Shu Fook Leung, Kwok Tung Chan, Wing Fai Lo and Kam Wah Kwok, who all hail from Hong Kong. The police also seized half a kilo of suspected shabu worth P2.5 million.
The four are facing charges for violation of Article II, Section 8 (Manufacture) and 11 (Possession) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Ronald dela Rosa , Philippine National Police director general at the time, said that the fishing vessel was being used to transport illegal drugs from outside the country. He added that shabu is manufactured on the boat and would later be dumped overboard to be retrieved for distribution.
The police also said that the crew was not able to produce any registration documents, which prompted the search. A search with K-9 units also indicated the presence of illegal drugs on board.
A hydrogenerator, used in shabu manufacturing, was also found in the vessel.
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