P360-M shabu seized
Anti-narcotics operatives seized Tuesday evening P360 million worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in a raid at a warehouse in Martinville Subdivision, Las Piñas City in Metro Manila.
The targets of the raid, alleged members of a certain Lee drug syndicate, were not around when the police swooped down on the warehouse.
Senior Superintendent Graciano Mijares, director of Philippine National Police ( PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), said the operatives found 72 packs, each containing a kilo of suspected shabu, stashed under dried fish inside a styrofoam container.
PDEG operatives conducted the raid together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa, who was among those who inspected the area, after the raid said the dried fish smell kept the illegal drugs hidden even from the K9 units.
“Itong tuyo (was used) to conceal the smell para kapag dumaan ito sa inspections lalong-lalo na ‘yung mga k9 experts sa drugs ay pwedeng malito, pwedeng ma-confuse ‘yung aso at hindi ito maamoy at saka ‘yung tao mismo na nag-inspection nandyan hindi talaga ma-scan ng husto dahil mabaho,” he said.
Dela Rosa said he believed the drugs were imported because clandestine laboratories in the country have been raided and dismantled.
“If you have observed, pawala ng pawala, wala na tayong natatanggap na information about the presence of shabu laboratory anywhere in the Philippines. Kung meron man hindi pa natin na-diskubrehan siguro very limited na lang ‘yung hindi pa natin nadiskubrehan. Kung nagtataka tayo wala nang shabu laboratory (then bakit) marami pa rin shabu nagkakalat sa kalsada ito ay shiniship from other country,” he said.
Dela Rosa urged the Bureau of Customs to impose stricter rules in inspecting packages going through the agency as the drug syndicates are getting more creative in concealing illegal contraband.
On June 7, the PDEG also discovered shabu under dried mangoes, also in styrofoam containers.
Mijares said it is possible that only one group is behind this type of packaging for shabu.