Crack teams dispatched in search of drug syndicate

Seven crack anti-narcotics teams of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were dispatched yesterday to go after the financiers, head chemists and protectors of shabu laboratories of the Chinese triads operating in the country.

The heavily-armed police teams were deployed in Metro Manila, in Northern and Southern Tagalog as well as the Bicol region where the Chinese members of the drug syndicate were monitored in hiding after a series of debacles they suffered recently.

Narcotics Group (NarcGoup) chief Director Efren Fernandez expects arrests anytime this week. Fernandez said he is receiving an hourly update of his men’s operations in the field.

"We have already identified most of the financiers, head chemists and protectors of the Chinese triads operating in the country," a narcotics official told The STAR. "We will get them in due time."

The NarcGroup decided to bring the battle against the Chinese triad drug syndicate to their own turfs amid reports that they raised P10 million to "hit back" at informers and anti-narcotics officials who dealt "a big blow" recently to their illegal business.

"We will bring the battle right in their own backyards to show them that we mean business," said the narcotics official who asked not to be identified. "We are not afraid of them despite the fact that they are well-connected."

Since Fernandez took the helm of the NarcGroup last Nov. 14, his men were able to neutralize shabu laboratories in Pasig City and San Juan, and recovered close to 1,000 kilos of shabu in Quezon and Zambales and in Pasay City and Manila. The NarcGroup also arrested at least 41 Chinese nationals during the drug raids.

On top of the NarcGroup’s list was Cai Hontian alias Michael Chua and Huwaiya, the head chemist of the makeshift shabu laboratory in Pasig City. Reports reaching NarcGroup showed that Cai was arrested during the term of jailed President Joseph Estrada but was able to "bribe" his way out.

The Chinese triad and their local counterparts panicked after the series of successful raids conducted by NarcGroup, prompting them to put up a P10 million budget to "fight back." They are expected to lobby the two Houses to discredit Fernandez and other ranking NarcGroup, officials whom they believed to be behind their debacle.

Included in their agenda is a massive media campaign until Fernandez is sacked by President Arroyo.

The Chinese triad had silenced recently David Sy-Lato, a civilian agent of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). At the time of his death, Sy-Lato was working on the "money trail" of the Chinese nationals linked to the San Juan shabu laboratory.