Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla on Friday, March 13, revealed that authorities have traced the P5.8‑billion crystal meth or “shabu” shipment intercepted off the coast of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro to a “very sophisticated” international drug syndicate led by Chinese operatives.

Remulla said the group behind the haul is not “ordinary lawless criminals,” adding that the syndicate employed drones to track the drugs when their speedboat ran aground but they were pursued by government forces.

“We think that they are part of an international drug syndicate. This is a very sophisticated organization. Biro mo, noong sumadsad sila diyan at hinabol sila, may mga drones na in‑employ ‘yung mga ‘yan para hanapin kung saan ‘yung mga drugs na ito (Come to think of it, when they ran aground and were being chased, they even used drones to locate where the drugs were),” Remulla said in a press briefing in Occidental Mindoro.

“They are not ordinary criminals. These are syndicates, these are foreign, these are Chinese-run syndicates na winawalanghiya ang ating bansa (that are disrespecting our country). Again, hindi tayo galit sa Chinese, hindi tayo galit sa China, pero galit tayo sa mga kriminal na Chinese na pumupunta rito (we are not angry with the Chinese people, we are not angry with China, but we are angry at those Chinese criminals who come here),” he added.

The DILG chief noted that the foreign syndicate’s modus operandi involved transferring large drug shipments from a mothership at high seas to a smaller vessel for delivery to the mainland.

This pattern points to a coordinated network rather than isolated smugglers, Remulla stressed.

Two Chinese nationals, identified as Xing Xing Zhan and Bin Shi, were apprehended after the speedboat carrying the illegal drug shipment ran aground last March 11. They arrived in the country on March 5.

Two Filipino suspects, identified as “low‑level” operatives tasked with navigating the boat and handling cargo, were also arrested by the authorities.

A female Chinese suspect, believed to be the group’s leader, remains at large with a manhunt underway. Remulla said she had been leasing a house in Batangas since November 2025.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Mimaropa office confirmed the seized drugs tested positive for methamphetamine with 90 percent purity.

The DILG turned over the seized drugs to PDEA for further investigation.