P1 billion worth of shabu from Cambodia seized in Malabon

Government authorities have seized around P1 billion worth of shabu in Malabon believed to belong to the Golden Triangle Syndicate, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino said Friday.

Combined elements of PDEA, the Bureau of Customs, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Bureau of Customs conducted the follow-up operation on Wednesday, May 22, at the Goldwin Commercial Warehouse.

A total of 146 kilograms of shabu concealed in 114 bags of aluminum pallets were found from the shipment which originated from Cambodia.

Aquino said this was connected to the February 3 operation in Tanza, Cavite where authorities found 274 kilograms of shabu worth P1.9 billion and the operation in Dasmariñas, Cavite on February where P244 million worth of shabu was seized.

Aquino said the AFP placed the cellphones of the arrested suspects in the Dasmariñas operation, Alexander Jun Wah Ting Lee and Patrick John Gankee, under forensic investigation.

Aquino said the AFP found that the group of the suspects were planning to hide the shabu inside the tapioca starch shipment consigned to Goroyam Trading.

The PDEA and the BOC found the abandoned shipment and the hidden illegal drugs on March 5, prompting them to auction off the tapioca starch in the hopes the narcotics group would bid for it.

Aquino said Goldwin Commercial Warehouse submitted the highest bid for the shipment on April 22.

He added authorities still pushed with the operation despite a background check showing that the owners of the warehouse have no links to the illegal drug trade. — MDM, GMA News