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Hunt on vs. cohorts of traffickers in C. Luzon drug haul

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

September 8, 2021, 2:50 pm

<p><strong>HUNT CONTINUES.</strong> Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (4th from left), and PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva (5th from right) do a fist bump during the recovery of another 80 kilograms of shabu worth around PHP544 million in a follow-up operation in Hermosa, Bataan on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 7, 2021). The operation was conducted hours after a buy-bust operation in Candelaria, Zambales that resulted in the death of 4 Chinese drug suspects and recovery of around 500 kilograms of shabu worth PHP3.4 billion. <em>(Photo courtesy of PRO-3)</em></p>

HUNT CONTINUES. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (4th from left), and PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva (5th from right) do a fist bump during the recovery of another 80 kilograms of shabu worth around PHP544 million in a follow-up operation in Hermosa, Bataan on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 7, 2021). The operation was conducted hours after a buy-bust operation in Candelaria, Zambales that resulted in the death of 4 Chinese drug suspects and recovery of around 500 kilograms of shabu worth PHP3.4 billion. (Photo courtesy of PRO-3)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday continues to hunt cohorts of the foreign drug traffickers who were killed in an operation in Zambales and three others who were nabbed in Bataan to put an end to their operations in the country.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, tasked concerned police units to assist the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the conduct of intelligence-gathering against the remnants of the group of Xu Youhua, one of those who died in the anti-drug operation in Zambales on Tuesday.

Xu is alleged to be one of the biggest shabu importers in the Philippines and is a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization.

“I commend all the PNP personnel who took part in this biggest drug operation that resulted in the confiscation of the biggest drug haul so far this year. This only shows that despite the pandemic, your Philippine National Police has never lost its focus in the campaign against illegal drugs,” Eleazar said in a statement.

The joint buy-bust operation conducted by the PNP, PDEA, and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service of the Intelligence Group (CIIS-IG) of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

on Tuesday yielded a total of around 580 kilograms of shabu worth around PHP3.94 billion, which is so far the biggest drug haul this year.

Aside from Xu, killed in the Zambales operation were Gao Manzhu, 49; Hong Jianshe, 58; Eddie Tan, 60 all from Fujian, China while arrested from the follow-up operation in Bataan were Qing Chang Zhou alias Ricky Chou, 37; Cai Cai Bin alias James/Joseph Chua, 49; and Longcai Chang, 45.

PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said the illegal drugs were smuggled into the country through the international waters that were later picked up by smaller vessels.

He added that the drugs were then transported near the coastal waters where they will be picked by local illegal drugs distributor.

Meanwhile, the BOC said it is constant coordination and cooperation with all law enforcement agencies to ensure the protection of the country's borders against the entry of illegal drugs and other contraband. (with Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)

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