TWO persons including a Chinese national were arrested after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided on Friday, April 13, another alleged illegal drugs laboratory in Malabon City.
PDEA director Aaron Aquino said the raid on a warehouse in Barangay Tinejeros, Malabon City was a follow-up operation of their Thursday’s operation in Ibaan, Batangas, where they discovered a clandestine laboratory managed by several Chinese nationals.
"Nag-conduct kami ng follow-up operations ngayong umaga at nabangga nga natin itong another drug laboratory, ang nadiskubre natin dito is first time na ang isang drug lab ay magiging production is more on the psychotropic substances which means na it's more on the MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) o yung tinatawag natin na mga ecstasy," Aquino said.
The clandestine laboratory in Batangas produced both methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and ecstasy tablets.
Arrested during the operation were John Ming Shen and his Filipino driver Lauro Santiago.
Recovered from the warehouse were suspected ecstasy tablets, assorted chemicals allegedly used in the manufacture of illegal drugs and other drug paraphernalia.
On Thursday, April 12, anti-narcotics operatives arrested four Chinese nationals and their alleged five Filipino cohorts in a drug laboratory in the middle of a livestock farm in Barangay Sto. Nino, Ibaan, Batangas.
Aquino said the raid was conducted based on intelligence information from the Office of the National Narcotics Control Commission (ONNCC), Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, People’s Republic of China.
He said the arrested persons were alleged members of the infamous “Golden Triangle,” a drug syndicate which operates in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. (SunStar Philippines)