USDEA lauds PDEA, SBMA for big shabu haul

THE United States Drug Enforcement Administration lauded the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for the seizure of an estimated 745.36 kilos of high grade shabu worth P15 billion at the Subic Bay Freeport recently.

Accompanied by PASG officials, a team from the USDEA inspected the headquarters of PASG Task Force Subic where the illegal drugs were being kept.

Timothy Teal, country attache’ of the USDEA, said they opted to visit Subic to see how the investigation was going on but clarified that they were here as observers.

Teal and his team also requested samples of the confiscated shabu that will be sent to their laboratory in the US to trace were the illegal drugs came from.

“We will send the sample to our lab so we can determine if the drugs came from China, Vietnam or other country and compare it to other confiscated drugs,” Teal added.

Lawyer Edmundo Arugay, Deputy Director of PASG-TFS, escorted the USDEA team to the Subic Bay Industrial Park where the warehouse of smuggling suspect Anthony Ang is located.

“The USDEA is also willing to train PASG agents to further enhance their capability in checking drugs, evidence handling and others,” Teal said.

PASG chief Antonio “Bebot” Villar Jr., meanwhile, lauded SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga and Administrator Armand Arreza for coordinating with his office the seizure of the contraband.

Villar also congratulated the SBMA’s Law Enforcement Department for foiling the attempt of Ang to smuggle out the illegal drugs. Journal Online