MANILA, Philippines—The large shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratory raided by the authorities on Thursday could not only produce billions of pesos worth of shabu, it was also making cheaper drugs that were more affordable to the public, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“The laboratory was producing cheaper drugs using synthetic materials but with the same effect and posing more danger because they had somehow become affordable,” Eric Isidoro, head of the NBI antidrugs unit, said.
The National Bureau of Investigation. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
“Instead of organic ingredients, the drug syndicates now use synthetic materials for mass production,” Isidoro added.
He said the six Chinese nationals who were arrested during the raid in Camiling, Tarlac, had been charged with the manufacture and possession of illegal drugs, an offense punishable by death.
“We know the death penalty law had been suspended but we will push for it to discourage illegal drug syndicates from putting up more laboratories in the country,” Isidoro said.
He said the syndicate was able sneak the raw materials into the country after it found a way to go around the law on the importation of the chemicals.
“They were able to circumvent the law by changing the component of the chemicals or mixing it with other chemicals to pass scrutiny at the ports,” Isidoro said.
“After acquiring the chemicals, the syndicate hired expert chemists who separated the drug precursor from the legal chemicals,” Isidoro said.
He said it was the Bureau of Customs intelligence unit that alerted the NBI to the arrival of the big shipment of raw materials.
He said the chemicals were divided up and delivered to several destinations.
“One of those destinations was the warehouse in Camiling,” he said.
“The operation was not the NBI’s alone but included the intelligence units of the Bureau of Customs and the military,” Isidoro said.
More than P3 billion worth of raw materials and equipment for the manufacture of illegal drugs were seized in the raid on the plastic factory cum laboratory in Camiling.
RELATED STORIES
NBI arrests 6 Chinese nationals in drug lab raid
Biggest ‘shabu’ lab in PH busted