Shabu lab busted in Palawan

Armed with a search warrant, police and anti-narcotics agents dismantled a huge shabu laboratory in Palawan last Friday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa yesterday said the raided suspected shabu manufacturing facility is located in Sitio Umalad, Barangay 4, Roxas, Palawan.

Members of the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) and the local police who swooped down on the place seized two hydrogenator machines and other equipment and chemicals used to manufacture shabu.

Chief Superintendent Luisito Palmera, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) police director, reported to Verzosa that the drug facility was designed as a chemical warehouse to cover up its operations.

The chemical warehouse, reportedly operated by a certain Xu Quing Jiang, also known as Lucio Co, Lito Zhang and Jackson Sy, has been abandoned by its occupants when policemen arrived.

AIDSOTF commander Director Raul Bacalzo said that aside from Palawan, Jiang also operates in Manila through his contacts, a certain Danny Buena and Jimmy Aborot, who are now the subject of an ongoing anti-drug operations by the AIDSOTF.

Bacalzo said the search and seizure operation was supported by the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration, Taiwan Economic Office and Chinese Counternarcotics Units.

Bacalzo said appropriate charges are now being readied against Xu and his cohorts.