Shabu worth P4B seized; 4 Chinese arrested in Pampanga raids

Published September 12, 2014 12:52pm

(Updated 4:20 p.m.) Some P4 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and drug ingredients were seized while four people were arrested in a raid on a "mega" shabu lab and a facility in Pampanga province Friday.

The Philippine National Police's Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted the raids, radio dzBB's Rowena Salvacion reported.

AIDSOTF legal and investigation unit head Roque Merdegia Jr. said both facilities were in San Fernando City.

FLASH: 2 hinihinalang shabu lab at storage facility sa San Fernando, Pampanga, sinalakay ng PNP-AIDSOTF. | via @wengsalvacion

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) September 12, 2014

Three Chinese were arrested in the first raid at Greenville Subdivision, one identified as Jason Lee.

PHOTOS: Tatlo ang arestado sa shabu lab sa Greenville Subd. sa San Fernando, Pampanga na unang sinalakay ng AIDSOTF. pic.twitter.com/5y3yYKuMvM

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) September 12, 2014

Several boxes of shabu were seized in the area.

An initial inventory showed there were some 187 kilos of shabu seized from the subdivision laboratory. The drugs had an estimated street value of P2 billion.

Also seized were 975 kilos of ephedrine, an ingredient used to make drugs.

Merdegia said the ephedrine could be used to produce some 300 kilos of shabu in one week.

A second operation in Barangay San Jose in San Fernando City yielded more than 100 kilos of drugs. Arrested was a Chinese woman said to be Jason Lee's wife.

The report quoted PDEA head Arturo Cacdac Jr. as saying the raid stemmed from a tip on illegal drug operations in the area.

It added the PNP and PDEA suspect the Chinese chose San Fernando City as their base of operations because of its easy access to the North Luzon Expressway. — Joel Locsin/LBG/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: shabu, pampanga, illegaldrugs