Chinese, 3 Pinoys held for P2.4 billion shabu

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese man and his three Filipino cohorts were arrested in an anti-drug operation in Pangasinan on Friday.

A total of 360 kilos of shabu placed in packs of Chinese tea bags with an estimated street value of P2.4 billion were confiscated from the suspects in Pozzorubio town.

Ke Wujia, 49, the alleged leader of the group and a resident of Agoo, La Union, and Johnbert Yagong, 22; Jenson Rey Yago, 29, and Ritchell Repuesto, 28, were arrested.

Cell phones, identification cards and assorted documents were reportedly recovered from the suspects.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Wilkins Villanueva said the suspects were under surveillance in the past three months.

PDEA agents and personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Customs participated in the operation.

“I highly commend the joint efforts of our operatives for another significant accomplishment. We will ensure the intensified campaign against illegal drugs and we will never stop until these perpetrators are put behind bars,” Col. Richmond Tadina, Pangasinan police director, said.

Authorities said the two suspects arrested for possession of 40 kilos of shabu worth P272 million in Barangay Poro in San Fernando, La Union, also on Friday, are members of the same drug ring.

The drug syndicate is believed to be among the major suppliers of illegal drugs in the country.

Gregorio Pimental, PDEA deputy director general for operations, said the group is operating in Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Pangasinan, Bataan and Cebu.

“Marami tayong ongoing financial investigations sa grupo nila,” he said.

In Cebu, 1.5 kilos of shabu valued at P10.2 million were seized in Mandaue City yesterday.

The illegal drugs were recovered from John Alex Villaraz, 18, in Barangay Cabancalan, according to Central Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Roque Eduardo Vega.

Fifty grams of shabu worth P34,000 were confiscated in a drug bust in Barangay Tipolo, also in Mandaue.

Danilo Canillo, 60, a resident of Cebu City, was arrested. – Cesar Ramirez, Jun Elias, Artemio Dumlao