Authorities dismantled a large clandestine shabu laboratory and seized illegal drugs and chemicals worth P6.6 billion inside a warehouse in Valenzuela City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Wednesday.
In a statement, PDEA said its agents, together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), conducted a buy-bust operation at an industrial park in Barangay Veinte Reales on February 22.
A 30-year-old suspect known by the alias “JP” was arrested around 4:15 a.m. after allegedly selling 500 grams of suspected shabu worth about P3.4 million to an undercover operative.
The transaction led authorities to a nearby warehouse that had been under sustained intelligence monitoring following previous anti-drug operations.
A subsequent search of the facility yielded 906.41 kilograms of shabu valued at P6.16 billion and 64.15 liters of liquid methamphetamine estimated at P436.22 million, PDEA said.
Authorities also recovered controlled precursors, essential chemicals, and assorted laboratory equipment allegedly used in the manufacture of illegal drugs.
“This is one of the most significant drug laboratory discoveries in recent years. The volume of shabu seized represents nearly one metric ton that would have otherwise flooded communities across Metro Manila and beyond,” PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez said.—MCG, GMA Integrated News
