Mom-daughter duo yields P15-m shabu

GOVERNMENT agents seized shabu worth more than P15 million on Monday from a 72-year-old Taiwanese woman in a jail for women in Mandaluyong City and her daughter’s condominium in Manila.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency  identified the suspects as Yuk Lai Sze alias Yuk Lai Yu and Anna Sy Balmeo, who is detained at the Correctional Institute for Women, and her daughter Diane Uy, who lives at 867 General Solano St., San Miguel.

PDEA spokesman Derrick Carreon said their operatives raided the correctional before dawn Monday, after successfully buying shabu from Yuk Lai Sze earlier.

Seized from her were two kilos of suspected shabu in packs and jars worth P4.5 million; 135 grams of suspected shabu hidden in 27 pieces of panty liners worth P945,000; one million pieces of empty capsules; and one capsule with drugs. They also found 19 checks totaling P633,593 and a check book, five automated teller machine cards, and a bank book that showed a deposit of P1.5 million under the name of Balmeo.

Agents also found five mobile phones, a tablet, a pocket Wi-Fi, unused foil and empty self-sealing plastic packs, 18,500 New Taiwan dollars, 801 Chinese yuan, 8,440 Hong Kong dollars, 40 Saudi riyals, 12 Qatar riyals and 20 dirhams, 16 US dollars and P110,982.

Carreon said 180 Bureau of Correction employees are now undergoing drug tests administered by PDEA.

Correctional director Elsa Alabado had been replaced by lawyer Daisy Castillote because of the incident, he added.

In a followup operation at noon, PDEA agents searched Uy’s condominium unit and seized some P10 million worth of shabu.

Radio dzBB quoted PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino as saying that Uy tried to bribe PDEA agents with P5 million, but Uy denied making the offer and said the shabu was planted.

The radio report said PO3 Walter Vidad, a member of the PNP Special Action Force and alleged bodyguard of Uy, was under investigation.