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Thursday, March 13, 2008
Drug lords earn P1B monthly from shabu lab: official
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The shabu laboratory that was recently discovered in Zamboanga City could produce monthly an average of 1,000 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride locally known as shabu, a drug enforcement agency official said.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Adzar Albani said the suspected drug lords could be earning over P1 billion in monthly profits based on the assessed average monthly production.
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The shabu laboratory was discovered on February 22 in the village of Lamisahan, east of Zamboanga City, following complaints of residents about foul odor in the area.
Albani disclosed that Weng Li Yang, 42, a Taiwanese and the alleged owner of the laboratory, is a member of one of six international drug groups operating in the country.
Yang, his friend Lucky Ong, and three workers are detained at the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center (ZCRC) after the justice department filed charges against them.
Senior Superintendent Edwin Soledad, Western Mindanao police director for Operations, said Yang's group was supposed to establish the shabu laboratory in nearby Basilan Province.
However, Soledad said that for some reason, the group transferred its operations to Zamboanga.
He said what are being produced in Lamisahan laboratory are shabu precursors, which are then transferred to the villages of Tetuan and Talon-Talon, also in Zamboanga City, for drying and wrapping.
Intelligence reports disclosed that the finish products would be brought to and sold in Malaysia, the two officials said.
Albani said Zamboanga City serves as the transshipment point of shabu for Manila and other provinces in the country.
Soledad, for his part, said the Chinese government has created Operations Plan Shark Hunting in coordination with the Philippine government to monitor the activities of six international drug syndicates including Yang's group. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (March 13, 2008 issue)
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