A vessel carrying P10 billion worth of shabu intercepted off the coast of Zambales last week bore Chinese markings and was manned by a Chinese-Malaysian national, a top Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official revealed Tuesday.

In a press briefing, AFP West Philippine Sea spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the foiled shipment — 1.3 tons of shabu bound for Manila — may be part of a deliberate plot by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “to undermine the future of the Filipino youth.”

When asked why China might be behind the shipment, Trinidad said, “To destroy the future of a nation, you flood it with illicit drugs — illegal substances that corrupt the minds of the youth.”

“It’s not far-fetched to believe that this is being done to us — or is already happening,” he pressed on.

Trinidad cited the possible threat of international drug trafficking in Philippine waters.

“The shipment, amounting to 1.5 tons roughly with a market value of P10 billion had markings that appeared to be Chinese in character,” he told reporters.

Trinidad lamented that this is not the first time that large volumes of illegal drugs confiscated in the Philippine seas have featured packaging with Chinese inscriptions. He also noted that this pattern has emerged in several past seizures.

“Historically, there have been instances of large hauls of illicit drugs apprehended in the maritime domain, confiscated in our seas that had markings that appear to be Chinese characters,” he said.

Trinidad likewise believed that this may be part of a broader narrative about transnational crime and drug trafficking through maritime routes, involving players from various countries.

“We don’t have to look far. From the side of law enforcement, they look for evidence. In the military, we look for indicators. It appears that it is not far-fetched that this could be another effort of the Chinese Communist Party to destroy the future generation of Filipinos by flooding our country with illicit drugs,” he added.

In response to these threats, Trinidad stressed that the AFP and the Philippine Navy have expanded their maritime security operations, extending their reach to the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

He noted the Philippine Navy has stepped up patrols across the country’s extensive maritime territory in line with the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept.

“We now extend our coverage up to our EEZ and this particular operation na nakasabat tayo ng 1.5 tons of illegal drugs is a result of your AFP conducting comprehensive archipelagic defense operations,” he said.

The record-breaking drug seizure resulted from a joint operation by the Northern Luzon Naval Command and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted around 1:30 a.m. on 20 June.