Boracay ‘drug den’ suspects face charges

BORACAY, Philippines – The 18 Taiwanese and 7 Chinese nationals arrested by police in Boracay are facing charges for violations of the anti-drug law before the Aklan Provincial Prosecutors Office.

Police Officer 2 Jeg Kenneth Tabang of Malay police station, investigator-on-case, filed the case in the evening of Tuesday, August 23 following a buy-bust entrapment operation that also led to the discovery of an alleged drug den, as well as cybercrime activities in the island.

Charged for violating Section 7 of Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Acts of 2002 for visiting a drug den were”

• Lin Szu Wei, 32
• Shau Wei Hu, 30
• Tian You Jhou, 26
• Shao Wei Zeng, 25
• Guo Siou Hong, 25
• Chia Hui Sun, 25
• Yu Ting Lien, 34
• Wei Chieh Weng, 29
• Jhih Hong Chen, 26
• Hsiao Chun Huang, 27
• Yu Lung Fan, 29
• Ching Ching Chang, 25
• His Ao Chu, 23
• Shuang Chuan, 22 from Taiwan. 

Police also arrested 4 Taiwanese women. These were:

• Yung Chun Wang, 23
• Pei Yu Wu, 23
• Yuan Shun Chou, 27
• Li Yin Lo, 23.

Chinese nationals charged by the police were:

• Honghua Zhou, 25
• Zonglong He, 29
• Feng Shuang Han, 32
• Chun Gong, 29
• Hui Zeng, 29
• Juan Wang, 28
• Yuling Zhong, 23.

At around 8:00 am of Monday, August 22, the 25 suspects – 6 of whom were women – were caught visiting a drug den in Sunshine Cove in Sitio Bulabog in Barangay Balabag where, police say, the “dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemical is administered, delivered, distributed, sold or used” during the buy-bust entrapment operation.

Police said Lin Szu Wei sold a sachet of suspected shabu to a poseur buyer. After the buy-bust operation, the operatives chased him into his two-story residential house.

According to BTAC chief Senior Inspector Jess Baylon, the police also saw the presence of the foreigners sleeping inside the house and the undetermined number of illegal drugs including ecstasy tablets, cocaine, as well as gadgets, telephones, laptops allegedly used in cybercrime activities.

The sting operation was conducted by operatives of Malay Municipal Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (MAIDSOTG), Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC) and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of Aklan Provincial Public Safety Company.

As of press time, the Aklan Prosecutor’s Office has yet to issue an inquest resolution on the case filed by the Malay police station.

Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through peace and order committee member Nemesio Neron will commend the efforts of BTAC chief Senior Inspector Jess Baylon and Malay police Chief Inspector Mark Evan Salvo for ‘busting’ the drug ring in Boracay Island involving the Taiwanese and Chinese nationals. – Rappler.com