5 Taiwanese nabbed in shabu lab raid

MANILA, Philippines - Five Taiwanese were arrested during a raid on a shabu laboratory in Parañaque City yesterday.

Cheng Yu Teng, Tsai Horng, Huang Yung Yung Chun, Hsu Yun Pong and Yu Kun Lin were rounded up in a two-story house on Santisima Trinidad street in San Antonio Valley 12 at about 9 a.m.

The house – rented by the suspects for P27,000 a month – contained at least 20 kilos of high-grade shabu, which has a street value of P150 million, said Superintendent Ismael Fajardo Jr. of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).

Fajardo said they are still conducting an inventory of the seized controlled precursors and essential chemicals in the presence of a prosecutor, barangay officials and members of media. The assorted precursors and chemicals were placed inside wooden boxes marked with Chinese characters.

Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran, city police chief, said the suspects had been renting the house from a member of the “Rodriguez family.”

Walk-in

An informant walked into the AIDSOTF office in Camp Crame early this month detailing the shabu laboratory’s operation in Paranaque City, said Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia Jr., AIDSOTF legal officer.

After nearly a month of surveillance, AIDSOTF agents coordinated with Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the National Capital Region Police Office to set up the raid.

Fajardo said the five Taiwanese and the confiscated evidence were found at the ground floor since the second floor of the house is not included in their rent contract. The lawmen also confiscated a Serena van used by the suspects.

4 more suspects

He said at least nine foreigners were seen going in and out of the house during the surveillance operation. He added that AIDSOTF agents are currently following the four other foreigners.

According to Fajardo, the shabu laboratory is capable of manufacturing 20 kilos of shabu a week.

“The suspects burn green leaves while they are producing shabu so the obnoxious smell of chemicals would not be detected,” said Fajardo, adding that Cheng is the group’s chemist while the four others are plain workers.

The house owner rushed to the compound from his residence in Bacoor, Cavite after learning of the raid. He said the suspects rented the 5,000-square meter compound in 2008 and their contract expired last year. However, the suspects continued paying in cash every month, though they have not yet paid the rent for this month.

Bonsai business

Fajardo said the suspects reportedly used the cover of trading in bonsai trees for their shabu laboratory. Cheng is a regular visitor to the Philippines and the last entry on his passport showed that he arrived in the country during the first week of July, the same period the laboratory started operating.

The four other Taiwanese are also frequent visitors to the country and one of them speaks fluent Filipino, he added. – With Rudy Santos