PDEA: 3 biggest drug syndicates in PHL from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino on Thursday said the three large foreign illegal drug syndicates are operating in the Philippines from Taiwan, mainland China, Macau, and Hong Kong.

Aquino told GMA News' Sandra Aguinaldo on "24 Oras" that the syndicates ship up to three tons of illegal substances into the country.

"Sa high seas, wherein doon ibabagsak iyung mga  droga. And then either lalambatin lang iyon, ine-net or da-dive-in para ma-recover and then isasakay ito sa mas maliliit na mga bangka. Open kasi 'yung ating coastal lines," Aquino said.

"For example, 'yung Bamboo gang, these are Taiwan-based. Yung 14k is Macau and Hong Kong-based....Tatlo yan, 'yung most powerful drug syndicates. 'Yung isa 'yung...Sun Yi Un that is Beijing-based. So itong tatlong ito ang the most powerful Chinese drug syndicates nago-operate sa ating country. Most of them are Chinese nationals," he added. 

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said the Bamboo Triad was to blame for the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country and not the Chinese government.

"Itong drugs ngayon, it's been operated by the 14K, Bamboo Triad. They have taken over. They are cooking the shabu on the high seas. Tapos itatapon. Nakita mo sa Region 1, mga bins na empty na may Chinese character. It's actually from Taiwan at lahat na," Duterte had said.

Gary Song-Huann Lin of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) said its government is willing to "strengthen the the anti-drug cooperation with the Philippines" and ordered an investigation into the allegation that illegal drugs in the country are from Taiwan.

"Taiwan is not a source of drugs in the Philippines. Taiwan (does) not export drugs to this country, even if President Duterte has said that, the drugs are cooked in high seas," Lin said.

The Chinese Embassy, on the other hand, denied having knowledge of the existence of a Bamboo Triad but vowed to help crack down on Chinese nationals who could be operating in the Philippines.

"We do not know much the syndicates or the drug rings that are operating in the Philippines... China will not protect its nationals who have committed crimes in the Philippines. They need to be punished in accordance with the Filipino law," said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News