Drugs found in Leviste ranch

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines—A Chinese national and a Filipino couple were arrested in a Christmas Day raid on a shabu storage facility in a poultry farm owned by the prominent Leviste clan that netted 84 kilos of prohibited drugs worth P420 million, police authorities reported.

Senior Supt. Jireh Omega Fidel, Batangas police director, said the police raiding team also seized a .45-cal. pistol and a 12-gauge Winchester rifle.

Armed with a search warrant, a team from the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (Aidsotf) swooped down on LPL (Lauro Panganiban Leviste) Ranch in Barangay Inosloban at around 8:30 a.m., according to PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac.

‘Good Christmas’

“This is truly a good Christmas for law enforcement with this latest big accomplishment of the PNP-Aidsotf,” Sindac said in a text message.

Arrested were Gary Tan, Argay Argenos and Rochelle Argenos. Seized from them were four traveling bags containing 84 vacuum sealed plastic bags filled with a kilogram of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) each.

A senior official, who asked not to be identified as he was not authorized to disclose the information, said the compound is owned by former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste, who recently stepped out of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after he was granted parole.

Leviste, the former husband of Sen. Loren Legarda, had admitted shooting dead his longtime friend and aide Rafael de las Alas in 2007 and was sentenced to a minimum of six years and a maximum of 12 years prison term at the state penitentiary.

Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia, Aidsotf spokesman, confirmed that the farm was being leased out by Leviste to a certain Jorge Torres, who is now a subject of a manhunt.

“(Torres) has been leasing the compound for some time now. It was not being used by Leviste per se,” Merdegia told the Inquirer over the phone.

He said the group had been supplying illegal drugs in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Calabarzon and Central Luzon regions.

Chinese drug ring

“This is a big group which is connected to a Chinese drug syndicate. In the following days, we expect a bigger accomplishment since our operation is still continuing,” he said.

He said the Aidsotf received information that some foreign nationals, including Chinese and Mexicans, also belonged to the group.

“We are now tracking down these foreigners,” he said.

Merdegia said the operation against the syndicate started in October after they were tipped off about the group’s illicit activities from an informant.

“We intensified our operations this December after we were able to infiltrate the syndicate,” he said.

Merdegia said the arrested suspects were brought to the Aidsotf headquarters at Camp Crame and were charged with violation of Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.