Government anti-narcotics authorities dismantled on Wednesday, Feb. 25, a large clandestine laboratory following the arrest of a drug suspect and confiscation of around P6.6 billion worth of shabu during a buy-bust operation in Valenzuela City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) stated.
Initially the PDEA said that suspect JP, 30, was collared at around 4:15 a.m. at a warehouse in Industrial Park, Barangay Veinte Reales after selling 500 grams of shabu worth P3,400,000 to an undercover agent.
“The transaction led authorities to the discovery of the shabu laboratory which had been the subject of sustained intelligence monitoring stemming from previous anti-drug operations,’’ the PDEA noted.
A subsequent raid inside the facility yielded 906.4064 kilograms of shabu worth a total of P6,163,563,520 and 64.15 liters of liquid methamphetamine valued at P436,220,000 along with other controlled precursors and essential chemicals and assorted laboratory equipment used in the manufacture of dangerous drugs.
“This is one of the most significant drug laboratory discoveries in recent years. The volume of shabu seized represents nearly one metric ton that would have otherwise flooded communities across Metro Manila and beyond,” PDEA Director General Isagani R Nerez said.
“Part of our drug supply reduction efforts is to target clandestine laboratories which strike at the very heart of the illegal drug supply chain, crippling distribution networks before the illegal drugs can reach the streets,” he added.
Likewise, Nerez commended the cooperation of the local government unit in the successful conduct of the operation.