Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2002 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 Author: Christina Mendez Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) 2 SHABU-MAKERS FALL Two Chinese chemists allegedly working for a Fujian Province-based drug trafficking syndicate were arrested by the agents of the Philippine National Police-Narcotics Groups in Pasay City. Police are preparing drug charges against Cai Au Huai alias Wah Ya and Ong Chong Yong, both natives of Fujian Province in the People's Republic of China. A kilogram of high-grade shabu was confiscated them, the police said. During the arrest, police said Cai Au Huai tried to mislead the police by giving a fictitious name, Chua Hong Tian. But a background check by the Narcotics Group showed that Cai is the notorious chemist of the Fujian drug syndicate assigned in the Philippines. Police believed that Cai was among those who eluded arrest during a police raid in an alleged shabu laboratory in Pasig City last November. Cai's brother was arrested during that raid. Anti-narcotics police agents initially arrested Ong during a entrapment operation last Sunday in an apartment at 2747 Zamora Street in Pasay City. Ong handed over 200 grams of shabu to a police undercover agent who posed as poseur-buyer. Ong tried to flee when he sensed that he was the subject of the police operation. After a brief chase, the police collared Ong. During the operation, the police also chanced upon Cai whom police operatives caught in the act of re-packing 800 grams of shabu inside the apartment. Narcotics chief Director Efren Fernandez said Cai Au Huai has been tagged as local leader of the Fujian drug syndicate operating in Metro Manila. "Apparently, he is trying to form another group to set-up another drug laboratory," he said. Operatives also seized a loaded Intratec 9mm machine pistol, a navigator electronic weighing scale, a satellite cellular phone with access to a global positioning system (GPS), and a telescope fitted with night vision. "The satellite telephone enables him to locate the exact position of the cargo ships being utilized to smuggle huge shipments of high-grade shabu into the country," Fernandez said. According to Fernandez, the night vision telescope allows the drug traffickers to effectively monitor shore landings of drug shipments at night. Fernandez said Cai's arrest was a validation of reports that Wah Ya's group had been smuggling large shipments in the Philippines through the so-called "ship-to-shore landing operations." The Fujian drug trafficking syndicate is said to be the biggest and most extensive drug smuggling network that has been operating in the Philippines for the last 10 years, Fernandez said. "With these arrests, we got hold of the crucial missing pieces in the giant Jigsaw puzzle on the multi-leveled organization of the group (which is) controlling the drug smuggling, manufacturing, distribution network in the Philippines," Fernandez said. The police official added that the Narcotics Group have started to establish the financial links and protectors of the drug syndicate. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk