‘P686.6 million shabu came from Chinese syndicate’

MANILA, Philippines —  The 101 kilos of shabu seized in Angeles City, Pampanga on Wednesday may have originated from the Chinese-run Golden Triangle syndicate, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

PDEA-Central Luzon chief Jigger Montallana made the statement based on their findings on the packaging of the seized illegal drugs estimated to be worth P686.6 million.

The illegal drugs were stashed in 96 tea bags and five transparent plastic bags that were seized by anti-narcotics agents from a Chinese and his Filipino companion.

“We believe the drugs came from the Golden Triangle in Myanmar based on the packaging,” Montallana  said at a news briefing at the Central Luzon police office in San Fernando City yesterday. “It’s either the drugs had been transited from other countries such as Vietnam, or sometimes Malaysia.”

The PDEA said the two suspects who were arrested during the anti-narcotics operation were distributors of the drug syndicate.

Montallana said the suspects had been under surveillance for about two months before they were arrested.

Meanwhile, another shabu stash with an estimated street value of P204 million was seized in Norzagaray, Bulacan yesterday morning.

The illegal drugs, weighing 30 kilos, were seized in a sting in a hotel in Barangay Minuyan before noon.

The PDEA said three suspects – identified only as Jessie, Kristina and JB –  were arrested after they allegedly sold shabu to an undercover officer.

During inspection, the agents found 28 more kilos of shabu from the suspects’ vehicle.

PDEA chief Isagani Nerez said the sting was connected to other operations they conducted earlier.

“We connected the dots by piecing together information and evidence from our previous operations, which led to the arrest of the suspects,” Nerez said.   – Ramon Efren Lazaro