SOME 24.5 kilos of shabu worth P166.6 million were found by a fisherman on the shoreline of Batanes, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said yesterday.
This brought to 1,329.1 kilos worth P9.03 billion the quantity of shabu that have been found by fishermen in several provinces in Luzon since May 29.
Before the announcement of the latest recovery, PDEA had said 1,304 kilos of shabu worth P8.87 billion had been recovered in Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the incineration of the shabu last Wednesday in Tarlac. Also destroyed were P610 million worth of shabu and other illegal drugs seized by authorities.
The PDEA-Cordillera Administrative Region said the 24.5 kilos of shabu were found by a fisherman last June 19 on the shoreline of Barangay Chanaryan in Basco, Batanes.
They were placed inside a sack and packed in 25 plastic packs, one of them partially opened. The plastic packs were labeled “Daguanying.”
PDEA said the fisherman turned over the shabu to the Basco police station at 3:50 p.m. last Wednesday. Police later turned over the shabu to the PDEA.
“The recovered substance is currently under the custody of PDEA Batanes PO (provincial office) and will be transported to PDEA RO2 (regional office 2) Laboratory for chemical analysis as soon as possible,” PDEA said.
In Kalinga, PDEA operatives destroyed P9.6 million worth of marijuana plants and dried leaves during a marijuana eradication operation on Tuesday and Wednesday.
PDEA swooped down at the marijuana plantation in Barangay Loccong in Tinglayan town and uprooted 30,000 fully-grown marijuana plants.
Also found in the area were 30 kilos of dried marijuana leaves and stalks.
The illegal drugs were subsequently burned.
No cultivator was arrested during the operation.
The PNP leadership recognized the Central Visayas police regional office as the top-performing regional police office in community mobilization in the fight against illegal drugs.
It was recognized during a staff meeting presided over by PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III at Camp Crame last Monday. Central Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan was among those who attended the meeting.
From January 1 to May 31, the Central Visayas police regional office mobilized a total of 58,410 advocates in the continuing efforts to rid the region of illegal drugs.
“Our success reflects the strong partnership between PRO7 (Police Regional Office 7) and the people of Central Visayas,” Maranan said in a statement yesterday.
“Through united efforts, we are building drug-free communities and securing a better future for all,” added Maranan.
