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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Chinoy traders eyed in Oro drug trade
By Joey P. Nacalaban
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- There are local Chinese-Filipino businessmen who are behind the illegal drug trade in Cagayan de Oro City, said Mayor Vicente Emano in reference to Monday's raid of a shabu laboratory in Barangay Cugman.
The raiding team headed by Superintendent Rene Orbe of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 10 and Superintendent Wilkins Villanueva of PDEA in Region 11 found millions worth of chemicals and equipment for making the illegal drug shabu in a bodega owned by a big-time business tycoon.
No one was arrested during the raid. Initial police investigation showed the bodega was rented by a certain Johnson Chua, a Taiwanese national.
Emano said he already has in his possession a list of persons suspected of involvement in the drug trade. Some, he said, are prominent traders in the city.
The local chief executive said he also knows that some of them have already exerted efforts to leave the country to evade arrest.
Orbe told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in an interview that he was coordinating with the immigration office to prevent those linked to the drug trade from leaving the country.
"Naka problema lang ani kay kining mga tawhana lain-lain ang mga ngalan. Lain ang ilang ngalan sa passport lain pud sa mga dokumento (The problem is these people have different names. They have different names in their passports and in their documents)," Orbe said.
After Monday's raid in Cugman, Emano said he believes there are other warehouses in the city and in Misamis Oriental being used as shabu laboratories.
"But then the city is still depending on law enforcers to do their job by looking into these places," Emano said.
In December 13 and 30 last year, authorities discovered shabu laboratories in Aubijid and Opol, all in Misamis oriental. Raiding team also seized millions worth of chemicals used in shabu during the raids.
Two Taiwanese nationals were arrested during the raids. Their cases are still pending in court.
Two weeks ago, a son of a prominent businessman who is at the same time a political staff of Senator Loi Ejercito was arrested for illegal possession of shabu.
Cagayan de Oro City police confiscated from Reynaldo Rodis 11 packs of chrystaline substance believed to be shabu.
Rodis said he does not use shabu but sells it to several of his clients.
He is now detained at the city jail in Lumbia while his case is being heard in court.
(May 11, 2005 issue)
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