A laboratory as big as the size of two basketball courts was torn down in Virac, Catanduanes on Wednesday, May 29. Law enforcement authorities destroyed its equipment and other resources to prevent it from producing methamphetamines colloquially known as ‘shabu’—an illegal drug.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) led the operation together with members of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5). The lab is located in Barangay Palta Small in Virac.
PDEA Bicol Information Officer Carlo Fernandez III told the Manila Standard that the court order for the destruction came unexpectedly, prompting swift action from the involved agencies.
The shabu laboratory, considered one of the largest drug hauls in the country, was originally seized by the government enforcers in 2016. It contained significant quantities of illegal substances, including 22.509 kilograms (kg) of shabu, 200 milliliters (ml) of shabu in liquid form, and 359.75 kg of ephedrine.
During the first Regional Drug Summit held in Legazpi City last month, PDEA Bicol Director Edgar Jubay stated that while there are no more shabu laboratories in the region, the drug delivery system remains active, which necessitates continuous efforts to apprehend those involved in drug trafficking.