Shabu lab discovered in Caloocan: 3 Chinese arrested

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents and local police officers discovered a kitchen-type drug laboratory by accident when the lawmen tried to serve a warrant of arrest on a suspected drug trafficker in Caloocan City Thursday.

Senior Superintendent Jude Santos, city police chief, said the operation also resulted in the arrest of alleged chemists Cai Lian Quiao, 28, and Cai Hong Xuan, 31, and their woman companion Xiaoyan Wang, 22, all Chinese nationals.

Chief Inspector Chris Galvez, head of the Caloocan City police sub-station that has jurisdiction over the case, said the suspects – as well as around 120 grams of methampetamine hydrochloride or shabu, bottles of shabu-making chemicals and equipment worth around P1 million – were turned over by the local police to the PDEA for proper disposition.

Galvez said they were assisting the PDEA team, led by Martin Francia, in serving a warrant of arrest for drug pushing against Jimmy Chua, 38, alias Jessie Chua, at the suspect’s two-story apartment on Asuncion street in Morning Breeze Subdivision when they chanced upon the suspects at around 3:30 p.m.

“Chua, the target of the arrest warrant, was not around, but the three other occupants tried to flee upon seeing uniformed police officers,” Galvez said.

He said Cai Lian was arrested in the apartment while SPO4 Victoriano Vergara apprehended Cai Hong after some 15-minute car chase that ended at the boundary of Caloocan and Malabon City. Xiaoyan was nabbed in a car parked in front of their apartment.

Galvez said the laboratory had a small gas stove and burner, a mixer and several bottles of chemicals used in making shabu and two laptops.

Chief Inspector Rodrigo Soriano, city police investigation chief, said Chua had been renting the apartment from Juanita Alfonso since September last year for P12,000 a month.