RP to share illegal drugs info with Japan

The government will share information on illegal drugs with Japan, believed to be one of the major destinations of shabu being manufactured in clandestine laboratories in the Philippines.

The agreement on the exchange of information was reached during the visit of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Reynaldo Wycoco to Japan last week on the invitation of the Japanese police.

"Given the geographical proximity of the Philippines to Japan and the number of shabu laboratories uncovered by government agencies since 2003, it’s not far-fetched that Japan could be one of the recipient countries of illegal drugs being manufactured here," he said.

The NBI chief said agents from the NBI Anti-Drug Task Force, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) discovered 14 shabu laboratories and warehouses across the country last year, an increase over the 11 discovered in 2003.

Authorities said most of the shabu laboratories have the capacity to produce more than 100 kilos of shabu daily.

By exchanging information with the Japanese, Wycoco hopes to detect attempts by local manufacturers to smuggle shabu into Japan.

Last Friday, the NBI, PDEA and the PNP raided a shabu laboratory and warehouse on 246 S. De Guzman st., Fortune 7 Village, Barangay Parada in Valenzuela City.

No arrests were made during the raid, but NBI agents are now hunting down Chinese trader James Tan and six other persons behind the operation of the shabu laboratory and warehouse, NBI Anti-Drug Task Force chief Atty. Ruel Lasala said.

The raid was conducted after residents who lived nearby complained to barangay officials of an unusual odor coming from the building.

Lasala said an inventory of the equipment seized from the laboratory showed it was capable of producing at least 100 kilos of shabu daily at a street value of P2.5 million a kilo.