‘Floating’ shabu lab suspects arraigned

OLONGAPO CITY—The four Chinese from Hong Kong who were arrested for allegedly operating a “floating shabu laboratory” in waters off Subic, Zambales town, pleaded not guilty on Friday when they were arraigned at a regional trial court (RTC) here.

Judge Raymond Viray, of RTC Branch 75, ordered the detention of Win Fai Lao, Shu Fook Leung, Kam Wah Kwok and Kowk Tung Chan at the city jail here.

They were on a ship seized by the police on July 11 on the suspicion that it was operating as a shabu laboratory. Police said 467.8 grams of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) in plastic bags were recovered from the ship.
“The accused are facing charges of manufacturing and [for] possession of illegal drugs. I’m confident that they will be convicted,” said Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera.

The four Chinese made their plea through a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) who served as an interpreter during the arraignment proceedings. PAO was tasked by the court with informing the Chinese Embassy about its clients’ legal situation.

The Chinese “made it appear that the ship was a fishing vessel with legitimate business operations, and concealed its actual purpose as a clandestine laboratory,” according to the information sheet submitted to the court.

The four Chinese were arrested when the police boarded the vessel that had been anchored for days in the waters of Subic. The shabu was found in the possession of one of the Chinese, police said.

Emerson Margate, Central Luzon director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, said the raiding team also found a hydrogenerator, which could have been used to produce shabu. A hydrogenerator can manufacture 50 kilograms of shabu in one cycle, Margate said.

Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief who joined the raid, said the police are trying to determine if the vessel had any connection to the 180 kg of suspected shabu dug up on July 3 in an abandoned farm in Claveria, Cagayan province. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon