ANTI-drug operatives recovered an additional P4.8 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) from the house of illegal drug manufacturer Samson Tan in Biñan, Laguna Wednesday afternoon, June 3.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives searched Tan’s house several hours after Tan, who is said to be one of the biggest shabu manufacturers in the Philippines, was arrested in a drug bust in Sta. Rosa City, also in Laguna.
PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said Wednesday that Tan was arrested along with two cohorts identified as Yusuf Sultan and Dexter Abdala.
PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said Thursday, June 4, that they have found out that Tan and Sultan are one and the same person.
“Samson Tan assumed the false identity of Yusuf Sultan y Ali apparently to confuse authorities,” he said.
Carreon also said only two people were arrested during the drug bust in Sta. Rosa Wednesday morning.
PDEA seized about 500 grams, not kilograms as earlier reported, of shabu worth P3.4 million during the drug bust.
At 3:30 p.m. of the same day, PDEA operatives served a warrant to search Tan’s house in a subdivision in Barangay Loma in Biñan.
Recovered during this second operation were 600 grams of shabu worth P4.8 million and equipment used for the manufacturing of illegal drugs.
PDEA operatives also arrested Ansadin Kami and Dexter Saliek who were allegedly in charge of the distribution and delivery of the illegal drugs.
Tan and his cohorts will all be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
A minor was rescued during the search on Tan’s residence.
Villanueva said they had conducted surveillance on Tan for three months.
Carreon said the PDEA had obtained a search warrant on Tan’s residence prior to the drug bust.
Tan was arrested when he personally transacted with the poseur buyer Wednesday morning.
Tan was first arrested by the Manila Police District in 2008 and transferred to the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in 2013, after he was convicted.
He was, however, released in 2018 after the Court of Appeals overturned his conviction. (SunStar Philippines)