NarcGroup officer gets threats from HK triad

The head of a Narcotics Group (NarcGroup) unit who led the recent successful busting of a Hong Kong triad drug syndicate in Pasay City and Manila is receiving death threats.

NarcGroup Chief Director Efren Fernandez said the police official was warned of physical harm and dire consequences because of the raids which resulted in the arrest last month of seven undocumented Chinese nationals and the recovery of at least 60 kilos of high grade shabu.

However, Fernandez refused to identify the beleaguered head of the NarcGroup unit so as not to affect his family and members of his team.

"Anyway, death threats are normal among police operatives," said Fernandez in a telephone interview. "This will not deter them (the NarcGroup unit) from pursuing the case."

The NarcGroup official, said Fernandez, is now coordinating with telecommunications companies to trace the sender of the threatening text messages.

The NarcGroup official interviewed three undocumented Chinese nationals caught with 344 kilos of shabu at a police checkpoint in Zambales two months ago.

Two weeks later, information gathered from the three suspects led to the busting of other triad members in Pasay City and Manila. A joint NarcGroup and Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) team also raided the group’s "front" offices in Binondo and their warehouse in Paco.

The same NarcGroup unit, according to Fernandez, is presently analyzing documents recovered from the raids which show the "paper trail" of the Hong Kong triad’s operations in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

"We will be working without let-up until we completely stop the Hongkong triad’s operations in the country," said Fernandez. "No amount of death threats can stop us." – Non Al