Pubdate: Mon, 28 Feb 2005
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073
Author: Nancy C. Carvajal
Cited: US Drug Enforcement Administration http://www.dea.gov
Cited: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency http://www.pdea.gov.ph
Cited: Philippine National Police http://www.pnp.gov.ph
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

5TH DRUG LAB DISCOVERED IN POSH VILLAGE

IT'S MULTINATIONAL Village, again. Authorities seized yesterday
sophisticated equipment and chemicals used for the mass production of
shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) inside the posh subdivision in
Paranaque City.

The raid at 84 Jericho Street was the second in two weeks conducted on
an alleged drug laboratory in the village, where five alleged shabu
factories have been found since last year.

An American drug expert who joined the raid said the pieces of
shabu-making equipment found in the house were similar to those found
in a big laboratory in Davao City.

"These are the same type of advanced equipment that were found in a
raid (last month) in Davao City," said Rodel B. Babasa, US Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) assistant country attache.

Babasa pointed to equipment that looked like stand fans without the
fan, but according to him were rotary evaporators used in processing
shabu.

Seized from the three rooms inside the bungalow were shabu rotary
evaporators, glass cylinders, beakers, acetone, activated carbon,
thionyl chloride and assorted chemicals used in the manufacture of
illegal drugs.

"These high-tech equipment are used for mass production of shabu," the
DEA agent said.

Babasa told the Inquirer that he was invited by his local counterparts
to provide technical assistance and that his presence there was official.

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the
police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force led yesterday's
raid.

According to Babasa, the kind of illegal drugs paraphernalia stored in
the hastily abandoned house indicated that it was not a small laboratory.

The DEA agent, who also briefed Secretary Angelo Reyes of the
Department of Interior and Local Government, and PDEA Director General
Anselmo Avenido, also said the owners of the drug-making equipment
could belong to the same syndicate that was busted in Davao.

According to Inspector Dominador Bartolazo, head of the city's
anti-illegal drugs task force, they staked out the house after getting
a tip from Leah Porqueta, who was arrested after the earlier raid last
Feb. 17 at a house on Joy Street.

"We had to stop the surveillance and execute the raid because the
search warrant is only good up to today," Bartolazo said.

Bartolazo said they were hoping that someone would go back to retrieve
the equipment.

The houses on Jericho and Joy Streets were reportedly both rented by
alleged drug lab operator Jack Yuen.

A certain Aida Wong was named as the owner of the house raided
yesterday.

Meanwhile, Felix Resuello, the new president of the homeowners
association, announced that they would ask residents to agree to a
voluntary inspection of their houses.

Resuello said that it would be part of preventive measures that would
be implemented by the association due to the increase of illegal drugs
laboratories in their village.

"The inspection would be conducted by barangay (village) officials,"
he said. 
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