Arroyo inspects seized drugs in Sino-Philippine joint operation

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 12, 2004

Arroyo inspects seized drugs in Sino-Philippine joint operation

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Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday inspected the 304 kg drugs seized at a company in the northern Philippine province of Bulacan in the first successful joint operation between China and the Philippines in the anti-drug campaign.

Arroyo congratulated on the success of the joint operation and expressed thanks for the efforts of the Chinese authorities after arriving at the Waretech Manufacturing Corporation late Thursday.

"Chinese narcotics agents are here to conduct joint operation with us, so this is the first time that we have a joint operation," Anselmo Avenido, director general of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, told Xinhua earlier.

"This only shows that if countries which are affected by the drug problems work together, then surely the operation will be successful," Avenido said.

"Here in this particular case, we do not only talk of international cooperation, we are already doing it, we have shown that success can be made if we cooperate with each other," he added.

Likewise, Avenido said the Philippines and China promised to each other to undertake vigorous anti-drug campaign and more joint operations.

After Arroyo's inspection, Philippine Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Jose Lina told Xinhua the joint operation is a clear proof of the cooperation between the Philippines and the People's Republic of China against dangerous drugs and that this is the biggest haul so far resulting from the cooperation of the two countries in the anti-drug campaign.

"The first successful cooperation between the Philippines and China is not only seizure of the drugs, but also a good beginning for both sides to make more cooperation with more experience in the fight against drugs," said Guo Shaochun, Chinese Embassy consulate in Manila.

Lan Weihong, departmental director from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, said the successful operation was achieved after 14 months of intelligence work by the China National Narcotics Control Commission and that Philippine authorities thanked Chinese authorities for their accurate and timely intelligence.

Altogether 152 boxes, which came from Laos and each contained 2kg of Shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride or ice), were seized inthe joint operation, with a combined market value of 600 million pesos (10.91 million US dollars).

Simultaneous operations were held from Jan. 20 to Feb. 12 in various places in China and the Philippines, with the main Chinese suspect, Chen Tianfu, being arrested in the Philippines, and three other principal suspects apprehended in China.

The Chinese officials have sought the deportation of the suspect back to China for interrogation.

Source: Xinhua

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