Chinese member of ‘big time’ drug syndicate nabbed at Naia

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese man, suspected to be a member of a “big-time” international drug syndicate linked to operations of several shabu laboratories in the country was apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Tuesday.

BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina, in a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, identified the Chinese national as 29-year-old Hong Liangyi who was intercepted at the Naia Terminal 3 departure area last December 8.

Medina said Hong was about to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey en route to Tehran, Iran.

“Authorities have identified him (Hong) as a leading member of the Dragon Wu International Syndicate allegedly responsible for the production and distribution of illegal drugs in the country,” Medina said in a statement.

Hong was included in BI’s hold departure list and is the subject of an arrest warrant stemming from a criminal case for illegal drugs filed against him in Cavite and Batangas, Medina said.

A regional trial court in Tagaytay City, Cavite issued a hold departure order against Hong and two other Chinese drug suspects back in January.

Meanwhile, a regional trial court in Rosario, Batangas issued a warrant of arrest against Hong and 13 others in June 2018 also for drug-related charges.

Citing law enforcement agencies, the BI said the Dragon Wu International Syndicate was linked to the operations of drug laboratories which were earlier raided by authorities.

Among those raided were a shabu laboratory inside a warehouse at a farm in Ibaan, Batangas which was discovered by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration (PDEA) in April 2018.

The raid led to the arrest of four Chinese suspects and their four Filipino cohorts.

“PDEA previously said that ‘Dragon Wu’ traces its roots to the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ area which is notorious for being the world’s foremost drug-producing region,” BI said.

Hong has been turned over to PDEA, Medina said.

Edited by MUF