Latest shabu haul part of Zambales shipment — NarGroup

The 57 kilos of shabu seized in a series of raids in Metro Manila over the weekend came from a 500-kilo shipment from China, bulk of which was intercepted at a police checkpoint in Zambales last month, the Narcotics Group (NarGroup) said yesterday.

NarGroup chief Director Efren Fernandez said he has ordered a nationwide manhunt for a certain Eddie Chua, a suspected member of a Hong Kong-based drug syndicate believed to be behind the shipment.

"We will be working even during the holidays to conduct follow-up operations in Metro Manila and nearby areas to get Chua and his associates," Fernandez said.

Seven Chinese nationals, who are all undocumented aliens allegedly belonging to the big-time drug syndicate, were arrested in Pasay over the weekend in raids conducted by NarGroup agents.

Four suspects – Li Chun Tsai, Tsui Siu Chen, Cu Un Hai and Liu Siu Chin – were charged yesterday before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.

Last Nov. 16, combined units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) intercepted 334 kilos of high-grade shabu worth P668 million at a checkpoint in San Narciso, Zambales.

Three suspects were arrested – Cai Hong Za alias Edwin Hong, 35, Henry Tan alias Eddie Tan, 32 and William Chua alias William Cheng, 36. They are allegedly members of the notorious Hong Kong triad, an international drug syndicate operating in the Philippines.

They were on their way to Metro Manila on board two Toyota Revo vans when intercepted by agents of the NarGroup, PNP Maritime Group and the Zambales PNP Office at a roadblock near the Maculcul bridge in Barangay Alusiis in San Narciso.

A third vehicle was able to elude the roadblock and escape.

Fernandez said interrogation of the three Zambales suspects as well as analysis of seized documents provided valuable information in tracking down their suspected accomplices and the rest of the shipment.

After three weeks of surveillance, agents of the NarGroup were able to secure warrants that led to the arrest of the seven Chinese nationals in Pasay.

Fernandez there will be no let-up in operations following reports that drug syndicates are planning to sneak in a large quantity of shabu during the Christmas break.

"We have received reliable reports of shipments on the country’s shorelines so I have ordered intensified operations," he said.

The Zambales seizure was the country’s biggest since Nov. 14 when police caught Panulukan, Quezon Mayor Ronnie Mitra and a Chinese national transporting more than 500 kilos of shabu aboard a van and an ambulance in Quezon.

Intelligence reports had revealed that the shipment came from the Pangasinan area and transported to Botolan, Zambales. Other sources said the shabu was unloaded on the shores of Masinloc.

The NarGroup believes a "mother ship" from China dropped off the shabu onto motorized bancas, which took the cargo to a beach and transferred it to the vans.

Police said the coastline of Zambales and provinces in Cagayan have become the favorite drop-off points of foreign nationals involved in the illegal drug trade.