Olongapo court convicts 4 Chinese men for ‘floating shabu laboratory’

FILE PHOTO: Four Hong Kong nationals arrested inside a “floating shabu laboratory” off Subic undergo inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice on July 13. TETCH TORRES-TUPAS

Updated (6:05 p.m.)

MANILA, Philippines – Four Chinese nationals have been convicted for being involved in the operation of a “floating shabu laboratory” in a 50-meter fish carrier vessel at Subic waters.

Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde on Friday sentenced Win Fai Lo, Shu Fook Leung, Kam Wah Kwok and Kwok Tung Chan to suffer life imprisonment. The court also directed them to pay a fine of P5 million.

Jabalde found the four foreigners from Hong Kong “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” for drug possession. But they were acquitted from charges of manufacturing dangerous drugs with the court citing the prosecution’s failure to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The court said the prosecution was able to produce enough evidence to prove the ownership of the seized drugs. At the same time, she added that there was enough proof of conspiracy among the four.

“There is a strong evidence that the four (4) accused conspired and confederated together to commit the crime of illegal possession of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu,” the court said.

In the case of the four, the court noted that they arrived in the Philippines together, met with their potential employers and billeted at a hotel in Manila together.

“The four accused were animated by one and the same purpose that is — the distribution of illegal drugs in the Philippines,” read the decision.

However, the court acquitted the four from charges of manufacturing dangerous drugs with the court citing the prosecution’s failure to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The court pointed out that while there was a hydrogenator at the vessel, which according to a chemist from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was used solely for manufacturing shabu, it was ‘non-functional’ when authorities raided the vessel.

“The presence of a laboratory equipment in the clandestine laboratory is only a prima facie proof of manufacture of any dangerous drug but not a proof beyond reasonable doubt that they are engaged in the manufacture of illegal drugs particularly methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu,” the court said.

The Chinese nationals were arrested last July 11, 2016 onboard an unmarked vessel in the waters off Barangay Calapandayan.

Authorities seized a total of 467.8 grams of shabu and a hydrogenator, which is used in making “shabu.”

They are the first foreign nationals convicted due to illegal drugs since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office. /kga/lb