‘International drug syndicate behind shabu dumping in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — An international drug syndicate based in the Asia-Pacific region is responsible for the nearly 1.3 tons of shabu valued at P8.81 billion that have been found floating in the waters off Zambales, Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said yesterday.

PDEA chief Isagani Nerez identified the syndicate as Sam Gor, an alliance of five drug triads: 14K, Bamboo Union, Big Circle Gang, Sun Yeen On and Wo Shing Wo.

The PDEA said the leaders of Sam Gor, also known as “The Company,” are based in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Nerez said the group is named after Tse Chi Lop, a Chinese-Canadian who was arrested in 2022 in the Netherlands and was extradited to Australia to face drug trafficking charges.

Tse is considered Asia’s El Chapo, the PDEA said.

Nerez said that Sam Gor, which operates in the Philippines and other countries in the Asia-Pacific, is mostly engaged in shabu trafficking, although it is also reportedly distributing heroin, ketamine, other synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals.

The group is believed to control 40 to 70 percent of the illegal drug trade in the region.

The syndicate is believed to earn more than $17 billion a year, Nerez said.

“The packaging of the narcotics recovered in Philippine waters – tea bags with Chinese markings – is a signature trademark associated with the Sam Gor,” Nerez said in a statement.

Nerez said the syndicate is known for its unconventional methods of drug smuggling, including dumping the illegal drugs into the seas to be retrieved by the group’s contacts.

Earlier, the PDEA expressed belief that the drugs came from the Chinese-run Golden Triangle syndicate.

As this developed, another sack containing 25 packs of shabu with an estimated street value of P179 million was retrieved from the waters off Magsingal in Ilocos Sur on Monday night.

The latest find brought to 59 the total number of shabu packs found in Ilocos Sur since Saturday.

Lt. Richard Pajo, Magsingal police chief, said the the sack was found floating by fishermen near Barangay Puro.

A day earlier, two fishermen turned over 25 packs of illegal substance to the police in Sta. Cruz town.

The Dangerous Drugs Board valued the 25 packs of illegal substance at P149.6 million.

The Philippine Coast Guard- North Western Luzon said the packaging of the narcotics was similar to the almost P4-billion shabu found in the waters off Pangasinan.