Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. praised a successful raid Thursday that uncovered a secret drug laboratory operating in a remote island village in Occidental Mindoro province.

Nartatez said he has ordered a thorough investigation to identify and arrest the organizers behind the facility.

“The discovery of these chemical substances in Occidental Mindoro highlights a dangerous trend where drug syndicates exploit isolated island communities to evade detection, but the PNP is adapting quickly,” Nartatez said.

Officers with the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group raided the facility at about 3 p.m. Tuesday on Golo Island, located in the village of Bulacan in the town of Looc.

The operation stemmed from information provided by a suspect previously arrested in Batangas province, who disclosed the existence of the laboratory, police said.

Initial reports indicate that investigators recovered several chemicals linked to the manufacture of illegal drugs.

Authorities are conducting forensic examinations to identify the substances, validate the identities of those involved, and determine the scale of the operation.

Looc is part of the Lubang Island group off the northwestern coast of Occidental Mindoro. Several villages in the area are accessible only by boat and have limited communication infrastructure, creating challenges for intelligence operations.