MANILA, Philippines — Around 500 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P3.4 billion were confiscated from four Chinese citizens killed in an alleged shootout with law enforcers in a sting in Candelaria, Zambales at around noon yesterday.
Col. Romano Cardino, Zambales police director, identified the slain suspects as Gao Manshu, 49; Hong Jianshe, 58; Xu Youhua, 50, and Eddie Tan, 60, all from Fujian, China.
Four firearms of still unknown calibers, four cell phones and two passports were reportedly recovered from the fatalities.
Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Customs conducted the operation at Noah’s Place, a beach resort, in Barangay Libertador.
PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva said Xu is a member of a transnational drug ring. He said Xu’s group had been under surveillance for three months, during which they brought bulk shipments of illegal drugs into the country.
Villanueva said the suspects could have been smuggling illegal drugs by sea and bring the drugs to land using motorboats or speedboats.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said it is the biggest drug haul in a single operation this year.
Eleazar said he ordered the deployment of helicopters and speedboats to assist in pursuit operations for the vessel that transported the illegal drugs in Zambales. – Bebot Sison