Police said it was a “major” testing laboratory for shabu with piggery as front only a few kilometers from a major police training center and the region’s only rehabilitation center for drug users.
Senior Supt. Graciano Mijares, Central Luzon police deputy director for operations, said seven Chinese nationals, including a woman, were arrested during the raid that led to the discovery of an underground shabu “research and development laboratory” in one of the five buildings on the 3.5-hectare piggery.
The suspects, who had difficulty communicating except in Chinese, identified themselves as Alvin Wang alias James, Philip Wang, Luey Chang, and Wang Shi Jua.
A Chinese woman who identified herself as Susan Wang, wife of Alvin Wang, was also arrested. Five children, including three boys and two girls, were with the suspects during the raid.
Two other Chinese nationals, Xian Bo Chang and Sonny Sy, were also arrested later after they were found somewhere in the piggery compound.
Senior Supt. Wilkins Villanueva, director of the PDEA in the National Capital Region, said the raid was based on a warrant issued by Judge Johnmuel Mendoza of the Regional Trial Court of Cabanatuan City.
“It turned out that we found an underground shabu research and development laboratory and some finished product in one of the buildings, so we are arresting the suspects identifi ed in the court warrant,” he said.
A convoy of about 10 civilian-looking vehicles motored to the farm located on a 3.5-hectare piggery in the middle of rice paddies. The piggery was located only about three kilometers from the Central Luzon PNP Regional Training Center, the Central Luzon Drug Rehabilitation Center, and the Pampanga State Agricultural University.
The value of the fi nished shabu product could not immediately be determined, but Villanueva said the “testing” laboratory was a “major fi nd.”
“This laboratory is used not only to test the quality of shabu, but also to refine low grade shabu,” he said.
Villanueva noted that “a kilo of low grade shabu that costs P600,000 would cost P2 million when refined in a laboratory such as this.”
Villanueva said the operation of the test laboratory here could be linked to major shabu laboratories in Metro Manila.
“There is reason for the location of the testing laboratory near the police training center and a rehabilitation facility. It’s a way of avoiding suspicion. The piggery was primary to cover the smell from the shabu laboratory,” Villanueva said.
He said the existence of the laboratory was ascertained after a PDEA agent posed as a piggery worker.
“This is why we know they treat their piggery workers like slaves. The workers sleep on the pavement and are fed nothing but sardines,” he added.
Villanueva said the Chinese nationals would be taken to Cabanatuan City where they would be jailed.
