By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Police intelligence units are now working to identify the international drug syndicate behind the nearly PHP6 billion suspected shabu shipment that was intercepted off the coast of Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said part of the investigation and intelligence operations is the identification of all the individuals and groups that serve as the syndicate’s local distribution network.
“The synergy among government agencies that led to this successful operation will be more forceful in running after all those responsible for the attempt to smuggle this multi-billion pesos worth of illegal drugs,” Nartatez said in a statement.
Soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division on March 11 discovered 43 sacks of suspected shabu weighing about 860 kg., with an estimated street value of PHP5.8 billion, in an abandoned speedboat discovered along the coastline of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.
Thirty more packs of suspected shabu were later found during follow-up operations, while four people have been arrested.
Two Chinese nationals – identified as Xing Xing Zhan and Bin Shi – were nabbed while trying to escape from the speedboat.
Two Filipinos – identified as Jonjon Hernandez and Frial Francisco – were also arrested after they were allegedly hired by the owner of the speedboat to search for the two Chinese nationals.
“I have instructed our police units to pursue all leads and ensure that anyone involved in this illegal drug operation will be held accountable,” Nartatez said.
He said they are working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and other law enforcement agencies to dig deeper into all the details relating to the confiscation of the illegal drugs.
No ordinary syndicate
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said a “very sophisticated” foreign syndicate may be involved in the drug haul.
“We think that they are part of an international drug syndicate. This is a very sophisticated organization. Biro mo, nung sumadsad sila diyan at hinabol sila, may mga drones na in-employ yung mga yan para hanapin kung saan yung mga drugs na ito. They are not ordinary criminals (This is a very sophisticated organization. In fact, when their boat ran aground and they were chased, they deployed drones to find the rest of their drugs. They are not ordinary criminals),” Remulla told reporters in a press briefing held at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Mimaropa Regional Office in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
Remulla noted that a female suspect had been leasing a house in Batangas since November 2025, while Xing and Bin had arrived in the Philippines last March 5.
He said their modus operandi was to take a shipment of drugs from a larger ship in the high seas and transport it using a smaller boat for distribution to the mainland.
“Again I don’t think there are public officials that are involved. Sigurado ako na walang PNP na involved, sigurado ako na walang Armed Forces na involved, sigurado ako na walang DILG [personnel] na involved. Ito ay foreign syndicates nag-ooperate dito. ang mga Pilipino na kasama nila ay low level, taga maneho ng bangka, taga baba ng kargamento pero ang sindikato na ito ay Chinese (Again, I don’t think there are public officials that are involved. I’m sure there’s no PNP involved, I’m sure there’s no Armed Forces involved, I’m sure there’s no DILG personnel involved. It is foreign syndicates operating here. the Filipinos with them are low level, boat drivers, cargo carriers but this syndicate is Chinese),” he added.
The seized drugs were turned over to the PDEA Mimaropa office, where they tested positive for methamphetamine with a 90 percent purity.
“So it signifies na itong sindikato is well-financed drug syndicate. Ang Mindoro is laging talagang planong-plano ng mga sindikato na dito mag landing and last year yung supposedly na landing dito na 5 tons at least with the whole of the government approach ng ating administration ay na-thwart natin yun, hindi nakapasok sa Mindoro but their target of unloading is Mindoro noon kaya sabi nga ng ating Secretary sa shoreline na natin porous na shoreline kaya dito (So it signifies that this syndicate is a well-financed drug syndicate. Mindoro is always a plan of syndicates to land here and last year the supposed landing here of 5 tons at least with the whole of the government approach of our administration we thwarted that, it did not enter Mindoro but their target of unloading was Mindoro then so our Secretary said that our shoreline is porous shoreline so here),” said PDEA director genera,l Undersecretary Isagani Nerez, who was also present in the briefing. (PNA)
