P37.5-M shabu chemicals, equipment seized at Manila port

MANILA, Philippines - The government seized yesterday P37.5 million worth of chemicals and equipment, which could reportedly be used to produce billions of pesos worth of shabu, that arrived at the Port of Manila (POM) last December.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Rico Puno said the smuggling of these chemicals and laboratory equipment is connected to the recent drug raids in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City and in Caloocan City.

Puno said the markings and lot numbers of the products in the previous raids matched, and investigators were able to discover there were importations made. They coordinated with Bureau of Customs (BOC) Deputy Commissioner Danilo Lim.

The markings and lot numbers of products from the two raids matched those of the items seized yesterday.

“We are still looking for other (imported) equipment that might have already been released and there might still be others that are still that have yet to be released,” said Puno.

He said considering the quantity of precursors confiscated from the POM, these could produce billions worth of shabu.

When asked if this could be one of the biggest drug raids, Puno said, “yes, it is possible if we add everything (including those from the recent raids in Caloocan and Muntinlupa).”

The seizure was done with the help of the BOC, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.

Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon led in the opening of six 20-foot shipping containers that contained the chemicals and equipment. The shipment – misdeclared as kitchenware, plastic products, glass bottles, massage devices and parts – arrived at the POM from Taiwan in two tranches on Dec. 2 and 4.

He said the cargo was consigned to Bitancor Enterprises, based in Binondo.

Biazon said he is not ruling out the possibility that there was an attempt to establish a drug laboratory. “These precursors – sulfuric acid, caustic soda, butyl acetate – and the laboratory equipment, if you put them together you would have enough to put up a drug laboratory,” he said.

He added that they will also look into the possible involvement of BOC employees, since the consignee was reportedly able to get “an accreditation using spurious documents.”