2 Sinos fall in shabu lab raid

Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines – Two Chinese nationals were arrested by a joint team of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) and Laguna police during a raid on a shabu laboratory here yesterday morning, authorities said.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami, AIDSOTF chief, identified the suspects as Hong Zhi Peng, 40, a chemist, and Go Chan Son, 28, suspected to be members of a Chinese drug syndicate.

The two foreigners were caught in the act of mixing chemicals to produce shabu in their rented two-story house on Palestine street at Villa Segovia Estate in Barangay Balibago here.

Uyami said the raid, conducted by virtue of a search warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 28, was the result of a three-month surveillance operation.

Uyami said they have sought the assistance of the Chinese embassy for an interpreter, although Go could speak Tagalog and identified himself as Henry Go to reporters.

Uyami said three more people, including a certain Vilma Chu, are now the subjects of a follow-up operation.

Uyami said the two Chinese nationals just transferred to the two-story house last Aug. 9, something which Barangay Balibago chairman Rodrigo Malapitan corroborated.

The raid yielded precursor agents and essential chemicals for shabu production, a hydrogenator mixer, containers, tubes and a refrigerator.

Senior Superintendent Manolito Labador, Laguna police director, said the seized equipment could produce at least 10 kilos of high-grade shabu with an estimated street value of P50 million per day. – With Ed Amoroso