Pubdate: Mon, 02 May 2005
Source: People's Journal (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 People's Journal
Contact: http://www.journal.com.ph/contactus.asp
Website: http://www.journal.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3381
Author: Tita C. Valderama
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DRUG WAR BREAKTHROUGH

THE Hong Kong court's approval of the extradition of suspected
big-time drug lord Calvin de Jesus Tan, a native of Cabanatuan City,
is a major breakthrough in the war against illegal drugs, according to
Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco.

"This is a big precedent in the government efforts to prosecute and
jail suspected drug lords. The message is clear ' these merchants of
death can never hide and get away with the cases filed against them in
our courts," said Cuenco, vice chairman of the House committee on
dangerous drugs.

Tan is facing drug charges in Cebu. He was sentenced to nine months in
jail in Hong Kong for possession of cocaine last February 17 when
arrested at a ferry terminal bound for Macau. This happened five days
after a raid on a multi-billion peso shabu laboratory in Mandaue City
believed to be owned by Tan.

In another raid in Sept. 2004 on a shabu laboratory also in Mandaue
City, one of the 11 men arrested by the police revealed Tan's drug
operations in Cebu and his whereabouts. In that raid, police seized
675 kilograms of shabu and various precursors and laboratory equipment
enough to make roughly eight tons of shabu valued at P15 billion in
the international drug market.

Tan's extradition, Cuenco said, reaffirms that the Philippines-China
political relations has indeed become stronger following the visit of
Chinese president Hu Jintao to Manila last week.

"This is an early fruit of renewed cooperation between our two
countries in the areas of law enforcement, judicial security and
defense in order to address the serious threats posed by organized
transnational crimes that the House leadership was able to secure
during Hu Jintao's state visit," Cuenco said.

This should be a signal to other Chinese nationals involved in the
illegal drugs trade that the long arm of the law would in time reach
them, Cuenco said. 
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