7 Chinese nabbed in San Juan shabu lab

Police seized yesterday an estimated P100 million worth of shabu and chemicals used in its manufacture, and arrested seven Chinese chemists from a suspected shabu laboratory in San Juan.

Philippine National Police — Narcotics Command chief Director Efren Fernandez said police raided the shabu factory in a bungalow at Araullo and Montessori streets in Barangay Addition Hills at 5 p.m. on the strength of a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Alfredo Flores of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court.

Fernandez said his men seized about 213 kilos of ephedrine, 208 bottles of ethanol, 284 gallons of acetone, four sets of rotary evaporators, several high-speed distillation machines and various high-technology laboratory equipment.

He said the chemicals can produce some 250 kilos of high-grade shabu with an estimated street value of half a billion pesos.

Fernandez said the laboratory turned out an average of 60 kilos of shabu a week — about 200 kilos a month worth approximately P500 million.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza said the drug syndicate’s leader is known by the code name "Dragon’s Head."

Police have already identified Dragon’s Head and he is now the subject of an "intense case buildup," Mendoza said.

Police identified the arrested suspects as Chua Sat Hap, 38; Tian Sang, 39; Chua Tok Sit, 36; Cha Bo, 22; Sing Hong, Chi Diak, and King Cheng, all from Fujian province in China.

Police investigators had a hard time talking with the suspects as they did not speak a word of English.

They were all taken to the Narcotics Command jail at Camp Crame in Quezon City, and they will be charged in court with the violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Fernandez said the suspects could have arrived in the country in October last year to replace chemists and technicians who had been sent back to China for rehabilitation after being exposed to a lot of toxic fumes.

Mendoza said they must have been using highly sophisticated equipment to be able to process shabu in a closed area without the odor being detected.

San Juan police chief Senior Superintendent Rodrigo de Gracia said the raid was led by the Narcotics Command in coordination with the National Capital Region Police Office and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.