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. - ---