MANILA, Philippines — A surprise inspection at the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City has yielded cash from two Chinese prisoners, one of whom is convicted drug queen Yu Yuk Lai.
Confiscated from Yu was money amounting to P90,000 while P150, 000 was recovered from another Chinese inmate.
CIW is one of the seven penal institutions under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which carried out the “Oplan Galugad” operation on Wednesday morning at the women’s corrections facility.
BuCor Spokesman Gabriel Chaclag said CIW houses some 3,300 female inmates. BuCor Director Gerald Bantag also joined the operation.
Chaclag explained that under the rules, prisoners are allowed to keep cash up to P2,000 only for their personal expenses.
“We are still looking kung para saan itong pera,” he said. (We’re still determining the purpose of the seized money.)
“Pwede naman nya i-explain. Baka sa asosasyon o kooperatiba nila ‘yan dyan (She can explain it. Maybe it is from their association or cooperative there),” Chaclag added.
But the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said in 2017 that Yu remains involved in the illegal drug trade even while in jail.
Also recovered during Wednesday’s Oplan Galugad were several plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance, solar battery, game gadgets. and pieces of jewelry.