By Perfecto T. Raymundo | Philippines News Agency
THE National Police, in cooperation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea), dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, laboratory and killed its two Chinese operators in Cauayan City, Isabela.
Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa, National Police chief, on Monday said the shabu laboratory “is high tech.” The Pdea said the raided facility is capable of producing a minimum of 200 kilos per production cycle, which covers one week and maximum of 400 kilos per cycle.
“So you can just imagine if every week it can produce 400 kilos, the distribution of this will be widespread,” dela Rosa said.
He noted that unlike the shabu laboratory discovered in Arayat, Pampanga, the one that was discovered in Isabela has already produced and had made test production.
Dela Rosa said the surveillance of the drug facility started in December last year jointly by the Pdea, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the police regional command in Cagayan Valley.
Chief Supt. Gilbert Sosa, Cagayan Valley police commander, said after a three-month painstaking intelligence-driven operation of the Cagayan Valley police command, in cooperation with various law-enforcement and police agencies, scored anew in the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the region by dismantling the shabu laboratory in Cauayan City, resulting in a firefight and death of two Chinese drug personalities.
A search warrant issued on Sunday afternoon by Judge Bernelito Fernandez of Branch 97 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Quezon City was implemented against Kim Punzalan Uy with aliases “Kim,” “Atong Lee,” “Lo Chi,” “Chua” and “Lung” of 101 Prenza, Maharlika Highway, District 1, Cauayan City, Isabela.
Another search warrant was issued by the RTC on Sunday afternoon against the same personalities on Rose Marie Reyes Street, District 1, Cauayan City, Isabela.
The simultaneous implementation of the two search warrants was jointly conducted by composite teams composed of the police and drug-enforcement operatives.
The implementation of the search warrant in 101 Prenza, Maharlika Highway , District 1, in the said city resulted in a firefight between the raiding team and suspects that led to the instantaneous death of Kim Punzalan Uy and another unidentified Chinese.
Recovered from the crime scene were large volumes of chemical precursors and essential chemicals and laboratory equipment used in shabu manufacture, a caliber .45 pistol with live ammunition, a 9mm submachinegun, a beige Toyota Hi Lux with license plate ABB-3553 and assorted documents.
Recovered during the raid at Rose Marie Reyes Street, Cauayan City, Isabela, were one caliber .38 revolver with six ammunition, four shotgun shells, one Colt defender caliber .45 pistol with two magazines and five .45 rounds of ammunition.
Uy, who was confirmed operating a clandestine laboratory in Cauayan City is a known drug-syndicate member with connection to Mike Lee, Ahong and Atong Drug groups that are actively engaged in the proliferation of illegal drugs in the Philippines.