Pubdate: Fri, 12 Aug 2005
Source: People's Tonight (Philippines)
Copyright: Journal Group 2005
Contact: http://www.journal.com.ph/contactus.asp
Website: http://www.journal.com.ph
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3454
Author: Paul M. Gutierrez
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

PDEA TAGS 'MARAWI GROUP' AS MAJOR DRUG SOURCE

Camp Vicente Lim -- A 'branch' of the notorious Marawi Group with ties
to drug syndicates based in mainland China is the major source of
illegal drugs in Southern Tagalog and some areas in Metro Manila,
according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The Marawi Group is composed of Filipino Muslims based in Marawi City
that have "graduated" from manufacturing and selling fake video
compact disks (VCDs) and DVDs into big-time manufacturing of illegal
drugs, particularly shabu, says PDEA regional director Supt. Abe Lemos
and his deputy, Chief Insp. Raul Bargamento, in an interview with
People's Tonight.

The group has centered its "main" area of operations in Quaipo,
Manila, Greenhills, San Juan, and Maharlika Village in Taguig City,
places that have a large community of Filipino Muslims, Bargamento
said.

 From these places, shabu is then distributed to the drug havens found
in Baclaran, Pasay City and Culiat, Quezon City, then onward to the
provinces, especially in the Calabarzon region.

Aside from San Pedro, in Laguna's first district, that has been tagged
by PDEA as the province's "shabu capital," illegal drugs from the
Marawi Group would also find their way to Calamba City and Binan in
Laguna; Dasmarinas in Cavite province; Lucena City in Quezon province;
and Lipa City in Batangas province.

"What is more disturbing and fearsome about this particular group is
that they have managed to forge links with drug traffickers based in
mainland China and that they have their own 'army' of cutthroats and
assassins," Bargamento said.

"We suspect that many of the drug-related killings involving Muslims
could have been ordered by this group. For some time now, the Marawi
Group has been trying to produce shabu on its own but the quality is
so poor that they just agree to distribute the product being
manufactured by mainland Chinese," he added.

"But of course, eventually, they would be able to produce shabu that
would compare in quality from those coming from China. It is just a
matter of time"

Lemos said their evaluation suggests that the money earned by the
group from faking VCD's, DVDs and other branded items may have been
used by the group in financing their illegal drug operations.

"Malayo na ang narating ng grupong ito," Lemos quipped.

To specifically deal with the menace posed by this group, PDEA chief
Anselmo Avenido has ordered the formation of Task Force Garuda, Lemos
said.

Although no exact figure is available, PDEA believes that the Marawi
Group is taking a major share in the P250-billion illegal drugs industry. 
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