PDEA: 4.3 tons of shabu confiscated in first half of 2025

GMA Network

08-07-2025

A total of 4.3 tons of shabu were seized in anti-illegal drug operations conducted in the first six months of 2025, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has said.
According to Ivan Mayrina's report in '24 Oras', the figure was more than double the 1.3 tons of shabu confiscated over the same period last year.
Among the shabu items seized were those found floating in the waters off Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Region, Cagayan, which were believed to have originated from foreign syndicates. Meanwhile, one was charged after shabu was found in a fishing boat last year.
'Kasi marami hong modus ang ginagamit nitong mga drug personalities – isa na ho diyang iyong floating shabu, pangalawa iyong sa fishing vessel. And isa rin po, iyong they try to package it as food products,' said PDEA spokesperson Joseph Frederick Calulut.
(Because these drug personalities use many methods – one is the floating shabu, the second is the fishing vessel. And another is that they try to package it as food products.)
'So, if we are looking at the packages na nakuha natin sa fishing vessel plus doon ho sa floating shabu, parehas po iyong packaging po nila – saan po nanggaling po ito?" he added.
"Doon ho sa may Golden Triangle area. Eh kung tatanungin po saan po ba iyong Golden Triangle area? Ito po iyong boundaries ng Myanmar, Thailand and Laos,' Calulut said.
(So, if we are looking at the packages we got from the fishing vessel plus the floating shabu, they have the same packaging – where did it come from? It's in the Golden Triangle area. So, if you ask me, where is the Golden Triangle area? These are the boundaries of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos.)
PDEA operatives on Monday confiscated P749 million worth of shabu found in four balikbayan boxes from the USA. These were concealed inside the packaging of cereals, chips, and instant noodles.
According to the report, the shipment came from California, and the address of the supposed recipients is in Mandaluyong and in Quezon City.
"We are conducting our follow up operations doon po sa mga consignees because most likely iyong consignees iba iyong pangalan although identified naman iyong pangalan sa consignee patuloy po iyong ating follow up operation po," Calulut said.
(We are conducting our follow-up operations on the consignees because most likely the consignees have different names, although the consignee's name is identified. We will continue our follow-up operations.) –Vince Ferreras/NB, GMA Integrated News