MANILA, Philippines – Eighty-one foreigners are in jail in the country for illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo said on Tuesday.
Citing reports submitted to him by Philippine Natonal Police (PNP) Director General Raul Bacalzo, Robredo said police have arrested 90 foreigners for illegal drugs since 2004.
Of the 90 foreigners, 77 are still detained and undergoing either trial or preliminary investigation; 4 had been convicted; 5 were acquitted while 4 other suspects were released on bail.
“The PNP’s anti-drug units are working closely with the Department of Justice to ensure the successful prosecution of the detained and out on bail suspects,” Robredo said in a press statement.
President Benigno Aquino III has issued an order to intensify the campaign against local and foreign drug syndicates who recruit and use Filipinos overseas as “drug mules,” similar to the trio who were executed last week in China.
"We have an urgent directive from the President to go after local and foreign syndicates who recruit our nationals to be drug mules or couriers and at the same time intensify our campaign against big-time drug syndicates who manufacture, distribute and sell illegal drugs in the country,” Robredo said.
Of the 90 foreigners arrested for illegal drugs since 2003, 72 are Chinese nationals, 9 are Taiwanese; 4 are Malaysians, 2 are Singaporeans; while the 3 others are a British, a Korean, and Macau resident.
"Of the 90 foreigner drug suspects, 81 of them were tagged as manufacturers while 9 were engaged in big-time drug trafficking. The 8 were arrested in buy-bust operations while the rest were nabbed during search and seizure operations,” Robredo said.
Drug Suspects Li Lan Yan and Li Tan Hua, who were arrested during a search and seizure operation at their rented house at Marina Bay Homes, Parañaque in July 28, 2003 have been convicted by a Parañaque Court for the manufacture of more than 163 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Davao City Judge Romeo Albaraccin also convicted 2 other Chinese drugs suspects identified as Carlos Sy and Shi Jin Sheng, who were arrested in Davao City in 2004 for operating a shabu laboratory.
Robredo said that based on Bacalzo’s report, the PNP’s biggest recorded drug haul since 2003 was in Mambungan, Antipolo City, where police arrested 4 Chinese nationals and seized 1,108 kilos of shabu, chemicals, and laboratory equipment for making meth
