Courtesy: DOJ
AT least 530 kilograms of suspected shabu worth P3.8 billion have been confiscated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with the help from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Bureau of Customs and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) in a bust in Mexico, Pampanga.
The authorities raides a warehouse owned by the Empire 999 Realty Corporation, located in Purok 5, San Jose Malino, Mexico City, Pampanga.
The illicit narcotics, originating from Thailand, had found their way to Subic Port in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, arriving aboard the vessel Sitc Shekou on September 18, 2023.
The crack team of undercover agents deployed by the NBI, specially dedicated to combating illegal drugs, managed to infiltrate the drug syndicate’s inner workings.
This eventually unveiled the immense cache of illegal substances and exposed the identities of those involved in this nefarious trade.
In a remarkable display of interagency cooperation, the collaborative efforts of these law enforcement agencies led to the seizure of 59 brown boxes.
These boxes concealed 530 mixed red tea bags and golden tea bags, each containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu—a highly dangerous drug, as classified under Republic Act No. 9165.
According to the DOJ, the operation shed light on the intricate modus operandi employed by the drug syndicate and its members who had been operating within the Philippines.
In an attempt to evade detection, each box ingeniously concealed the illicit cargo beneath layers of plastic bags filled with chicharon and dried fish.
Additional subterfuge was evident in the cases of soft drinks and sacks of animal feed, adorned with markings in the Thai language.
The operation commenced in 2020 and culminated on September 27, 2023, as the combined forces of the NBI, PDEA, and NICA seized the vast quantity of illegal drugs.
With this major breakthrough, the NBI is set to collaborate closely with the National Prosecution Service in the preparation of filing of cases.
Moreover, the NBI has initiated a financial investigation in conjunction with the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
Their aim is to uncover the corporations allegedly utilized as conduits for the trafficking of the seized illegal drugs, a pivotal step toward dismantling the infrastructure of this drug trafficking network.
