Pubdate: Sun, 06 Mar 2005 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2005 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 Author: Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines RP NOW A MAJOR SHABU PRODUCER - US WASHINGTON - Illegal drug trade in the Philippines is a billion-dollar industry and the country is a major producer of crystal methamphetamine, known locally as "shabu," according to the US State Department. In its 2004 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) released Friday, the State Department cited that in 2004, Filipino authorities seized a total of 756 kilos of methamphetamine, valued at more than $27 million. A total of 5,791 kilograms of ephedrine, an essential precursor in the production of methamphetamine, were also confiscated - about the same quantity as in the previous year. Illegal drugs not consumed locally are exported to Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, the US and Europe, it added. The same report also said there was evidence to indicate some links between drug trafficking and terrorist-linked organizations. The INCSR said in a chapter on the Philippines that Chinese and Taiwanese-based syndicates have established all of the Philippines' clandestine methamphetamine laboratories using a network of ethnic compatriots. But the report also noted mounting evidence indicates the presence of several similar labs in areas controlled by the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao which is alleged to have ties with the Indonesian-based terror group, Jemaah Islamiyah. The MILF denies this. The State Department's annual report evaluates more than 140 countries according to their progress in battling narcotics trafficking, corruption and money laundering. The report, meanwhile, praised the Arroyo administration for the "impressive progress" it made in enhancing and implementing anti-money laundering legislation. It said the government should continue to focus on effective implementation of laws and procedures already enacted, in part by expanding its financial and human resources to properly equip and train law enforcement and regulatory personnel. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed the Philippines last month from its list of countries deemed to be non-cooperative in the global fight against money laundering. This reflects growing international commitment and political will to support the intensive legal changes and training required to track funds, said Robert Charles, assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the State Department in a press briefing. In addition to being a major producer of shabu, the Philippines also produces, consumes and exports marijuana. It also serves as a transshipment point for further export of methamphetamine of foreign manufacture, the report said. Seizures of marijuana last year increased dramatically because of a shift in emphasis from small-scale farmers to big drug traffickers. The report said government entities uprooted, destroyed and confiscated marijuana valued at $155 million, up from $10.7 million in 2003. Figures from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency showed the Philippines arrested 25,221 people for drug related offenses in 2004, a decrease of 7,929 individuals from 2003. The decline reflects the new strategy to concentrate on larger distributors rather than users and low-level dealers, the State Department report said. - ---