Korean national, cohort nabbed for chemicals that can make P2.2-B ‘shabu’

A Korean national and his cohort were arrested after yielding chemicals and paraphernalia, which, police said, could be used to manufacture a substantial volume of “shabu,” in Pasig City.

A police report on Thursday showed authorities first confiscated from a certain Marvin Yu some 250 grams of suspected “shabu” in a buy-bust operation in Caloocan City on Wednesday morning.

Police said they conducted a follow-up operation against Yu’s cohort Kim Jong Hee, a Korean national and believed to be a chemist, who also yielded another 250 grams of suspected “shabu” in a buy-bust transaction.

Police said they have been tailing Kim even before his arrest to trace the source of a reported huge volume of illegal drugs.

Subsequently, authorities recovered Kim’s Toyota Grandia in a parking lot in Barangay San Antonio, Pasig City.

Recovered from his vehicle were two containers and four water jugs of half-processed shabu, 26 sacks of suspected ephedrine, several glass mixers, gallons of chemicals believed to be precursors, several boxes of acetone, and other items used for manufacturing shabu. Police said these ingredients can produce around 325 kilos or P2.2 billion-worth of the illegal drug.

Yu and Kim are now under the custody of the police, and will be facing drug charges. /kga