Authorities seized over ₱680 million worth of suspected shabu hidden in shiny tea bags—dubbed “tsaa-bu”—during a buy-bust operation in Angeles City, Pampanga.
The raid, conducted in Barangay Sto. Domingo, led to the arrest of two suspects: a 31-year-old Chinese national and his 24-year-old Filipina companion. They now face charges for illegal drug possession and trafficking.
Police and anti-narcotics agents found about 100 kilos of suspected shabu packed in tea bag wrappers, a method believed to be commonly used by international drug syndicates. According to PDEA Region III Director Jigger Montallana, these tea bags are often shipped through countries like Vietnam or Malaysia, depending on the syndicate’s network.
The PNP suspects the shabu was intended for distribution across the Visayas and Mindanao regions, had the operation not been intercepted.
In a related sting, police in Norzagaray, Bulacan, confiscated around 30 kilos of shabu also concealed in tea bags. Three suspects were apprehended, and an SUV allegedly used in the transport was seized. Investigators believe the group had links to a Chinese national, thought to be the operation’s mastermind.
Authorities say the use of tea bag packaging is a known tactic of syndicates tied to the Golden Triangle, a major drug trafficking zone bordering Thailand, Laos, China, and Myanmar.
Investigations continue as law enforcement works to identify and capture the syndicate’s ringleader.