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Sunday, November 14, 2004
Customs, PDEA seize P30-M worth of raw shabu
By Chris Navarro
CLARK ECOZONE -- Agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confiscated ingredients for making shabu estimated to cost P30 million, at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here.
Atty. Alex Arcilla, Clark Customs collector, said authorities confiscated 5.3 kilos of ephedrine, a main ingredient used to make metaphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Arcilla identified the three persons who were arrested during the bust as Benito Medalla, 35; Gina Mitra, 30 and Archie Ortiz, all of Valenzuela City.
Sun.Star Pampanga learned that a kilo of ephedrine can make three kilos of shabu.
A kilo of shabu is worth some P2 million while 5 kilos of the raw substance can produce 15 kilos of shabu, with a street value of some P30 million.
Arcilla said a certain Michael Wu, shipped the package through UPS last Thursday with a return address at Zheting Guangbo Group, 501 Youngor Road Niangbo, China.
Investigators said the package was declared as a "sample gift" and the contact person indicated was a certain Marloa Sy of Taz Hung Glass Supply and General Merchandise, Phi-Tzanpo Building 1520, Cavite, Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Meanwhile, PDEA agents said they are still looking into the identities of the sender and the contact person as they suspect that an international syndicate might be behind the shipment of raw shabu materials into the country.
Examination made by Chief Insp. Daisy Babor, crime laboratory chemist in Camp Olivas, confirmed that the substance was indeed ephedrine, one of the main ingredient in the manufacture of shabu.
PDEA agents uncovered a "mega" shabu laboratory in Cebu recently and confiscated more than a ton of shabu.
PDEA told reporters the illegal drugs were worth billions of pesos and 11 Chinese-looking foreigners were arrested in the raid.
The raiding team from the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) in Manila and its regional office in Cebu and PDEA 7 barred reporters to get inside the compound for fear of an accident because of the chemicals inside the three warehouse buildings.
Some of the seized drugs were in big plastic packs ready for disposal while some were in huge plastic containers. The laboratory used high-tech equipment.
The laboratory was housed in three warehouse buildings along Plaridel St. and five meters from UN Ave.
In the middle of the compound was a steel post where a giant billboard was installed.
Meanwhile an American national was arrested after two used sticks of dried marijuana leaves were found in his possession during an interdiction operation at the Manila Domestic Airport, Terminal 1 in Pasay City.
PDEA Director General Anselmo Avenido Jr on Saturday identified the suspect as Richard Batengui, 20, of Block 3, Lot 4, Atis Street, Green Heights Subdivision, Bukal, Dasmarinas, Cavite.
He gave his foreign address at 3968 Jerusalem Avenue, Seaford, New York 11783, USA.
Batengui, who is in the country for vacation, was bound for Busuanga via South East Asian Airlines Flight No. 461 when arrested last Tuesday by the Airport Interdiction Unit of the PDEA Metro Manila Regional Office (MMRO).
The marijuana sticks were discovered during the mandatory body frisking conducted by Danilo Morales, duty male frisker at the airport Initial Clerk Area.
They were hidden inside a Green Marlboro Menthol Lights flip top box placed in the left front pocket of his short pants. (With reports from Jonathan F. Fernandez)
(November 14, 2004 issue)
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