Four Chinese men from Hong Kong have been arrested after police seized a 50-metre long vessel they were using as a “floating shabu laboratory.”
The vessel was seized on Monday night off Barangay Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales.
Police boarded the fishing vessel, and discovered it was being used to transport illegal drugs into the Philippines from abroad. Police also noted that a small meth lab was present inside the boat where they believe drugs were produced while transporting and moving from region to region.
Authorities speculated on the route, saying that Cagayan to Ilocos, as well as Ilocos to Pangasinan from Subic.
The Bureau of immigration said that three of the four suspects arrested were first-timers to the Philippines. Police believe one of them was a chemist operating the shabu lab.
Authorities speculate the ship brought the 180 kilograms of shabu up on the shores of Clavaria, Cagayan province last week – so far no solid evidence has been found to corroborate that story.