P1-B shabu haul not linked to Mexican cartel

MANILA, Philippines - The 200 kilos of crystal methamphetamine or “shabu” with a street value of P1 billion, seized from four men in Parañaque City on Friday afternoon, is apparently not linked to the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, an official said yesterday.

Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) spokesperson Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia said the haul “showed no indication” that it was linked to the deadly Mexican drug cartel.

Merdegia, however, hinted that the shabu could have been sent to the country by another  group with an international operation.

AIDSOTF chief, Senior Superintendent Bartolome Tobias earlier said the 200 kilos of shabu were contained in white cloth sacks that were then stuffed into six wooden crates.

One of the arrested men, later identified as Robert Tan, 33, told members of the arresting AIDSOTF team that he did not know what the boxes contained. Tan said he and the other three arrested suspects – Oliver Tan, 26; Mark Jun San Miguel, 29; and Felino Diamse, 49 – were just told to get the boxes from a hotel in the city and deliver them to Cavite, where they would then be paid P70,000 for the delivery.

Police said the four men were arrested at about 1 p.m. as they were in a silver Mitsubishi Adventure van (WVI-579) along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard. Merdegia said the van is owned by Robert Tan’s wife.

Merdegia said the four arrested suspects, who are detained at Camp Crame, have already been charged for transporting illegal drugs (Section 5) under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.