Raid finds P360-M ‘shabu’ in Las Piñas warehouse

From inquirer.net:

By Dexter Cabalza

Antidrug operatives seized packs of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth P360 million in an abandoned warehouse in Las Piñas City on Tuesday night.

Armed with a search warrant, members of the Philippine National Police – Drug Enforcement Group led by Senior Supt. Graciano Mijares raided a warehouse on J. Tionquiao Street, BF Martinville Subdivision in Barangay Manuyo Uno around 10:30 p.m.

Photo from PNP-NCRPO

Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who joined the raid, said 72 packs of shabu, weighing a kilo each, were found concealed under black plastic bags of dried fish (tuyô) and dried mangoes inside four styrofoam boxes.

Dela Rosa said the street value of the confiscated illegal drugs was P360 million.

Also seized was a piece of machinery which, the PNP chief said, was where the drugs were hidden to slip them through Customs.

Chief Insp. Kimberly Molitas, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the warrant was issued by Executive Judge Reynaldo Alhambra of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 53 against suspects only known by their aliases — Mr. Lee, Johnny, Sy, Jen, Luk, Jimmy, Pilay and Tanda — for possesion of illegal drugs.

None of the suspects were at the warehouse during the raid.

The presence of shabu in the warehouse was revealed by Taiwanese national Chen Teho Chang, who was arrested on June 3 by authorities at an hotel in Parañaque.

Mijares earlier said the 55-year-old Chang, who was under surveillance for two months, was a member of a drug syndicate operating in Southern Luzon.

Chang’s arrest also led to the seizure of P15-million worth of shabu hidden under packs of dried mangoes in a residential building in Barangay Moonwalk, Parañaque City, on June 10./rga