High court affirms life term for 6 Chinese in shabu case -- 2011/january/24

 High court affirms life term for 6 Chinese in shabu case -- 2011/january/24: "THE Supreme Court has affirmed the life sentence a lower court imposed on six Chinese nationals for drug trafficking.

The court found the Chinese in possession of 364 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, with an estimated value of P1.6 billion.

In an en banc decision, the high tribunal, through Associate Justice Presbitero J. Velasco Jr., upheld the judgment of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court finding Ng Yik Bun, Kwok Wai Cheng, Chang Chaun Shi, Chua Shilou Hwan, Kan Shun Min, and Raymond S. Tan guilty beyond reasonable doubt of possession of illegal drugs.

The six Chinese nationals were also ordered to pay a total of P30 million.

They were arrested by police while preparing their drug shipment at a resort in Sariaya, Quezon on Aug. 24, 2000.

A total of 25 heat-sealed transparent plastic bags containing 364 kilos of the illegal substance were recovered from the group on board a white Mitsubishi L-300 van.

The accused said their arrest and the search of the shipment were"