P160-M shabu seized in Parañaque condo raid

MANILA, Philippines - Police confiscated 47 kilos of shabu and ephedrine worth more than P160 million in a raid on a condominium unit in Parañaque City early yesterday morning.

The raid on Sentosia Condominium on Curelean street, Macapagal Boulevard in Barangay Tambo was conducted at 4:30 a.m., said Senior Superintendent Bartolome Tobias, chief of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).

Tobias said they seized 20 kilos of ephedrine worth P26 million and 27 kilos of shabu amounting to P137.5 million.

No one was arrested during the raid. Authorities are on the hunt for at least seven suspects for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Tobias said Quezon City Executive Judge Fernando Sagun Jr. has issued a warrant for the arrest of Marvin Tan, alias Tiu; Frederick Tan; Johnson Co, alias Johnson Chua; Jacky Sia Huang aka Tsoi; Richard Catungal; Fernando Alegre Dilima aka Fernando, and James Garcia with aliases Ming-ming and Emmy.

Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia, AIDSOTF spokesman, said the illegal drugs were stuffed in two pieces of luggage and a sack.

Police found another sack of ephedrine, which is used in manufacturing shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Follow-up operation

Yesterday’s raid was a follow-up operation on last month’s drug bust on Pacific Avenue in Marina Bay, Parañaque that yielded P396.8 million worth of illegal drugs.

Four Chinese were arrested in the said operation.

“Basically, the raid on Sentosia was an offshoot of the operation last Jan. 24, where AIDSOTF operatives intercepted more or less 248 kilograms of ephedrine,” said Merdegia.

“Apparently, the other suspects were alarmed after the Jan. 24 operation so they were forced to abandon the drugs,” he added.

He said the drug syndicate has been using the condominium unit as their warehouse.

 Based on their initial investigation, Merdegia said the illegal drugs were intended for distribution in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The AIDSOTF official said the operation was a result of a month-long surveillance. 

Merdegia said the security officers of Sentosia Condominium were very cooperative.

Police theorized that the illegal drugs would be transported to a clandestine laboratory, which the authorities are now tracing.

New packaging

Police said the seized shabu were repacked for selling.

“Each foil pack weighs 500 grams on the average. This is new packing. In the past, we recovered foil packs weighing one kilogram per pack so it appears the syndicate made some modification on the packing and weight of their contraband,” the AIDSOTF spokesman said.

Aside from the illegal drugs, Merdegia said the raiders found a box filled with dried seahorses.