4 suspects arrested over P6.8-B shabu haul in Occidental Mindoro — DILG's Remulla

Four suspects, including two Chinese and two Filipinos, were arrested after the seizure of 910 kilograms of suspected shabu in Occidental Mindoro, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Friday.

At a press conference, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said authorities are still hunting down the alleged leader of the group, a female Chinese national. 

“Apat po ang nahuli dito…Yung dalawang Chinese ay noong sumadsad yung kanilang speedboat ay tumakbo papunta sa gubat. Ang nag-respond kaagad ay ang Army at CAFGU,” Remulla said.

(Four were caught here…The two Chinese, when their speedboat ran aground, ran into the forest. The Army and CAFGU responded immediately.)

"Itong dalawang kasama na Pilipino, sila ay kapitan lang ng bangka,” he added.

(The two Filipinos were just the captains of the boat.)

Authorities are still searching for the alleged 30-year-old leader of the group linked to a “Chinese-run syndicate,” according to Remulla.

“Hinahabol natin ngayon sa pursuit operations kasama ang kanilang mga bank account at meron kaming suspect na leader nila, isang babae na under hot pursuit ngayon ng [Philippine National Police],” he said.

(We are now going after them in pursuit operations including their bank accounts and we have a suspect who is their leader, a woman who is now under hot pursuit by the Philippine National Police.)

The “leader” allegedly rented the house in Batangas where the suspects stayed and bought the speedboat.

On Tuesday, 43 sacks containing suspected shabu were recovered from a twin-engine speedboat that ran aground along the coast of Sitio Agbalite, Barangay Harrison, Paluan town.

The Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division initially estimated that the illegal drugs were worth around P6.6 billion. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) estimate was around P5.8 billion.

“Ito ay unopened as is. Ang normal kasi delivery ng ganito ay 50 kilos per sack. Pero noong upon further inspection, at kung gusto niyo tingnan pa, talagang 25 kilos lang pala ang laman niya,” Remulla said.

(It is unopened as is. The normal delivery of this kind of thing is 50 kilos per sack. But upon further inspection, and if you want to look more closely, it was actually only 25 kilos.)

“So yung unang report was the number of sacks times 50. Yun pala, 25 lang talaga laman niya,” he added.

(So the first report was the number of sacks times 50. It turned out, it was really only 25 kilos.)

The group allegedly smuggles illegal drugs by transferring shipments from larger vessels in the high seas to smaller speedboats to the shore.

According to authorities, the seized illegal drugs had a purity level of around 90%.

Authorities estimated  that about 100 kilograms of shabu may have been lost at sea due to rough waters when the speedboat ran aground.

Asked if any local official was involved in the P6.8 billion worth of shabu recovered from a speedboat in Occidental Mindoro, Remulla said there was none adding that they have not seen significant involvement of elected officials in the drug trade.

However, the DILG chief said they received information that a mayor in the province of Leyte is allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

“Ang alam namin sa lista namin, iisang mayor lang eh, sa Leyte, ang actually involved sa drugs,” Remulla said.

(What we know from our list is that only one mayor, in Leyte, is actually involved in drugs.) — RSJ/AOL, GMA Integrated News