A Filipino woman and three Taiwanese men were arrested in Infanta, Quezon, in the Philippines after they were allegedly found transporting liquid substances believed to be intended for the production of methamphetamine.
On September 10, Jhuo Tian-you, Lin Ching-huang, Lin Ching-weng and Kimberly de Vera, all of legal age, were arrested at around 4am while there were on board a motorized boat along the shoreline of Barangay Dinahica, Tempo reported.
Chief Superintendent Edward Carranza, director of the Calabarzon Police Regional Office, said police had received information that the group would be transporting chemicals and other substances at the said time and place, which is a known drop-off point of illegal drug shipments.
The Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group, Maritime Group and Infanta Municipal Police Station conducted a joint operation to apprehend the suspects.
The Filipino suspect, de Vera, claimed that she had no knowledge of the illegal drug activities of the group and said she was in a relationship with one of the three Taiwanese men, whom she had met about a month ago through social media.
Philippine authorities have said foreign drug groups sometimes formed relationships with locals in exchange for large sums of money to avoid suspicion.