The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized P314 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or “shabu,” and arrested three Chinese nationals during a raid on a drying station in Tondo, Manila, last week.
In a press conference presided over by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday, the NBI said the operation led to the discovery of a new modus operandi being used in the smuggling of drugs from China to the Philippines.
Seized during the raid were wet crystalline granules packed into aluminum foil tea bags with Chinese characters. This was meant to facilitate the drying process and prevent detection. The NBI believed that the illegal drugs may have been declared as Chinese tea or medicine.
The arrested suspects were identified as Ong Tsen Siong, Lee Chuan Chiat and Sy Tian Kok. They remain detained in the NBI jail and have been charged with violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The NBI also seized 62.7 kilograms of shabu at 704 Cathay Mansions on Mayhaligue Street in Tondo. The operation was preceded by a monthlong surveillance operation conducted by joint operatives of the Investigative and Intelligence Services under NBI Deputy Directors Ruel Lasala and Reynaldo Esmeralda, respectively, with head agent Rommel Vallejo, chief of the Anti-Organized Crime Division, as team leader.