Police track drug syndicate after P6.6-B Valenzuela shabu lab raid

Police and anti-narcotics agents are tracking a major drug syndicate following the discovery of a clandestine laboratory in Valenzuela City that yielded an estimated P6.6 billion worth of suspected shabu.

The raid, conducted 22 February by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), uncovered 906 kilograms of suspected shabu and 64 liters of liquid methamphetamine in a rented warehouse.

Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian said in a radio interview that he was “shocked” by the magnitude of the operation. He admitted the city’s approximately 15,000 warehouses make monitoring difficult but vowed to increase local inspections.

“I admit that the magnitude of this operation surprised me,” Gatchalian said. “I did not think this clandestine laboratory could exist here. We will conduct inspections more often.”

According to the property owner, the warehouse was recently leased to a tenant claiming to operate a brewery. The previous tenant had been a manufacturer of customized bags before moving to Bulacan. The new occupants reportedly requested renovations for a ventilation system before beginning operations.

Meantime, PDEA director general Isagani Nerez suggested the site may not have been the primary manufacturing hub for the entire haul. When agents entered, they found only small-scale equipment, including two household-size washing machines.

Authorities believe the finished products may have been manufactured elsewhere and moved to the Valenzuela site.

PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said he has ordered the PNP Drug Enforcement Group to intensify intelligence gathering to determine if linked laboratories exist in other parts of Metro Manila.

“We will leave no stone unturned in tracking down every individual connected to this syndicate,” Nartatez said.

A 30-year-old suspect was arrested during the operation after allegedly attempting to sell 500 grams of shabu to an undercover agent for P3.4 million.

The crackdown follows directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to prioritize the eradication of large-scale drug networks.