Manila, Aug. 30 -- Two Chinese nationals were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Pasay City court over a 2020 drug trafficking attempt, a major legal victory welcomed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

In a 24-page decision dated Aug. 25, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court sentenced Chinese nationals Jason Ang and James Soriano to life imprisonment and fined them PHP2 million each for importing over 239 kilograms of shabu valued at PHP1.62 billion.

The duo was arrested during an October 2020 controlled delivery operation in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija after authorities intercepted the massive drug shipment concealed inside tea bags from Malaysia.

In a statement over the weekend, PDEA Director General Undersecretary I...