COPS SEIZE P120-M SHABU IN QC RAID

Police seized 54 kilos of high-grade shabu worth P120 million and 200 kilos
worth of raw materials in a raid on a makeshift laboratory in Loyola
Heights, Quezon City yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, head of the Metro Manila Drug
Enforcement Group (MMDEG), said the raid resulted in the arrest of seven
Chinese nationals and three Filipinos.

Radovan identified the arrested Chinese as Jimmy Chua, 42; Sally Ong, 44; Li
Lainar, 45; Li Manchuck, 50; Tom Ruiz Chua, 20; Sam Li Chua and Willy Anson
Ang, 29. All were identified through passports indicating that they are from
Fujian province in southern China.

Police also arrested Jessielyn Lumusa, 26, and Concepcion Anduhan, 26, both
from Bukidnon, who claimed to be housemaids, and Jamil Maramanay, 19.

Radovan said the seizures and arrests were conducted by agents of the MMDEG,
Narcotics Group anti-trafficking division and the Western Police District.
The agents raided houses at 75 C. Salvador St., Varsity Hills Subdivision,
and 15-B Gonzales St., Xavierville Subdivision, both in Barangay Loyola
Heights.

Radovan, who led the raiding teams, said the raids was conducted on the
strength of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Enrico Lanzanas of Manila
Regional Trial Court Branch 7 against Jimmy Chua and Sally Ong.

The raiders recovered 50 kilos of shabu and chemicals, like sodium
hydroxide, barium sulfate, sodium acetate, acetone and assorted laboratory
equipment, from the Salvador street "laboratory" while four more kilos were
seized from the Gonzales street residence.

No less than President Arroyo visited the house on Salvador street and
inspected the seized evidence along with Interior Secretary Jose Lina and
Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Also present during the presidential inspection was Philippine National
Police chief Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Metro Manila police
chief Deputy Director Edgar Aglipay and Central Police District director
Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Tor.

The President ordered Radovan to immediately file charges against the
suspects and Narcgroup officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Ruben Cabagnot
to coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration regarding the Chinese
nationals.

Mrs. Arroyo said the raid was the start of a serious effort to rid the
country of major crime syndicates.

"We want to show our people that our police, in close coordination with
local government officials, are working hard and seriously to curb major
crimes," she said.

Belmonte, for his part, said the raid was concrete evidence that the Arroyo
administration's anti-crime drive is beginning to bear fruit and lauded
Ebdane for "a job well done."

"The determination of the Arroyo administration to run after drug syndicates
has borne fruit," Belmonte said, noting the supportive role the Central
Police District played during the raid.

Ebdane said the raid -- the first after he was named PNP chief -- would only
be the start of a continuing campaign against drug trafficking in the
country.

"This could be the start of our no-nonsense campaign in neutralizing drug
syndicates operating in the country. This is a continuous effort," Ebdane
said.

Lina, on the other hand, said the raid was made possible by the cooperation
of a newly elected barangay chairman of Barangay Loyola Heights who took
note of the goings-on inside the two houses.

Chief Inspector Nelson Yabut, ATD intelligence and operations chief, said
that the shabu-making equipment seized during the raid could produce about
50 kilos of shabu each month but was less sophisticated than the equipment
seized in a laboratory raided in San Juan in January.

The San Juan raid was the third and largest raid conducted by the Narcgroup
and the MMDEG after separate raids on laboratories in Lipa City in Batangas
and Pasig City.