Suspected drug ring leader falls

A suspected leader of an international drug syndicate believed to be behind the operation of shabu factories in the country was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Binondo, Manila before New Year’s Day, police officials said yesterday.

The suspect, William Gan, who uses Willy Gan and James Go Ong as aliases, and his 33-year-old live-in partner were presented to President Arroyo yesterday through a live video-teleconference by PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Undersecretary Anselmo Avenido and resigned Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo.

In a phone patch from Malacañang just after arriving from Zamboanga, Mrs. Arroyo lauded the PNP and PDEA for a job well done.

Aglipay warned other ringleaders and syndicates operating in the country against pursuing the illegal drugs trade.

"You can run, but you cannot hide... the days of the top brass of transnational groups engaged in the manufacture, distribution, and sales of dangerous drugs in the country are numbered," he said.

Gan and his live-in-partner Jia Shuxin were arrested in front of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Church in Binondo, Manila at around 8:30 p.m. last Dec. 26.

Gan and Shuxin are natives of Fujian, China.

"Informants and witnesses under the custody of the task force have identified William Gan as the brains behind the operation of the two laboratories and shipment of a ton of ephedrine," Aglipay said.

The arrest was made by virtue of the a mission order issued by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID).

The duo were undocumented aliens.

Gan is allegedly a "major supplier" of drugs in Metro Manila and the southern provinces near the metropolis. Seven of his men, also Chinese nationals, were arrested in November.

Aglipay said Gan was behind the operations of the shabu factory earlier raided by the police in Barangay Mapulang Lupa, Valenzuela City last Nov. 11.

The Aid-SOTF seized 119 kilos of shabu and 728 kilos of ephedrine during the raid.

Avenido said Gan’s group are also believed to be behind the operation of the shabu laboratory at 2 Evangelista street, Santolan, Pasig City, where a large quantity of chemical and laboratory equipment used in the manufacture of shabu were seized by the police last Dec. 4 .

Aglipay said the ton of ephedrine seized at the Manila International Container Port last Nov. 27 was also traced to Gan.

Official statistics show that the Philippines has become a major transshipment point for drugs in the region. The government has made more than 16,000 drug-related arrests since 2001 and filed criminal charges against some 10,000 suspects. – With AFP