2 Chinese get life over P1.6 billion shabu

MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese nationals have been sentenced to life in prison after a Pasay court found them guilty of importing more than P1.62 billion worth of shabu into the country.

The Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 116 found Jason Ang and James Ong Soriano guilty of violating Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In its Aug. 25 decision, the court ordered Ang and Soriano to pay a fine of P2 million each.

The case stemmed from the interception of a shabu shipment from Malaysia at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Oct. 29, 2020.

Authorities said the shipment contained 20 boxes with 239,153.8 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu concealed in 240 plastic tea bags.

Instead of immediately seizing the shipment, authorities conducted a controlled delivery that led to the arrest of Ang and Soriano at a fast-food restaurant parking lot in Cabanatuan City.

In Las Piñas, two kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P13.6 million were confiscated from a suspected drug pusher on Saturday.

The contraband was recovered from an alias Alvin, 30, who was tagged as a high-value drug suspect in southern Metro Manila. — Emmanuel Tupas, Artemio Dumlao