Anti-narcotics agents dismantle Malabon ‘shabu’ lab

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

MANILA, Philippines – Anti-narcotics agents and local police officers has dismantled a “kitchen-type” drug laboratory in Malabon City capable of cooking up some P50 million worth of shabu, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, for each batch.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said its agents recovered some P5 million worth of controlled raw materials used to manufacture shabu in the illegal facility, a two-storey apartment at 125 Sisa Street, Governor Pascual.

But no one was arrested in the operation. Residents told investigators that the door of the apartment was always closed and the occupants kept to themselves.

“Chinese-looking men have also been observed to frequent the place,” a PDEA statement said.

PDEA Director General Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. said in the same statement that his agents seized several chemicals, including ephedrine, thiamine, hydrochloric acid, acetone, toluene, and red phosphorous.

A washing machine with spinner/dryer, refrigerator, rice-cooker, and other home appliances, apparently used in the manufacture of shabu, were confiscated, the agency said.

“Based on the equipment and chemicals found in the apartment, we can classify it as a kitchen-type laboratory that has the capacity to produce five to 10 kilos of shabu [in one production cycle] that can amount to as much as P50 million worth of finished products,” Gutierrez said.

One production cycle can take from two to three days.

“It can also be concluded that they are employing the ‘Nagai Process’ in manufacturing shabu using red phosphorous as catalyst,” Gutierrez said.

He added that a stainless-steel door, comparable to that of a vault, was installed out in front, “obviously to contain the obnoxious smell emitted by the process and avoid generating suspicion from the neighborhood.”

Gutierrez said investigators were trying to establish a possible connection between the discovery of the drug laboratory and the arrest of two Chinese nationals on May 3 in Pasig City, and another Chinese man on April 30, on drug charges.