Shabu seized in recent ops matches drugs in magnetic lifters —PDEA

Illegal drugs recovered in recent operations in Metro Manila matched the shabu seized inside magnetic lifters at the Manila International Container Terminal, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino said on Friday.

According to Aquino, the glut of shabu in the National Capital Region and the results of recent operations in Manila support the PDEA's claim that P6.8 billion worth of shabu made it to the market after being contained in magnetic lifters later found in General Mariano Alvarez in Cavite.

Because of the oversupply, Aquino said shabu now costs P2,000 per gram from P6,800 per gram just a few months back.

"It turned out that they matched. It's highly similar and strongly correlated, which means that the drugs came from one source," Aquino told GMA News.

"Lumalabas na yung magnetic lifters talaga sa GMA ay nailabas talaga. Kasi yung source dito sa MICT na nahuli namin noon at saka sa GMA iisang source lang," he added.

The magnetic lifters the PDEA found in Cavite is said to have contained almost a thousand kilos of shabu.

The lifters in Cavite were discovered just a few days after the Bureau of Customs seized P4.3 billion worth of shabu at the MICT. The illegal drugs were also contained in magnetic lifters.

"Kaya bumabaha ngayon ng droga ngayon sa Manila because of those four magnetic lifters. Lumalabas ngayon na nakaka-match na kami ng droga doon sa nahuhuli naming droga sa MICT," Aquino said. —NB, GMA News