Fisherfolk find cocaine off Cagayan waters

By Vince Jacob Visaya

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- Two fisherfolk found three bricks of suspected cocaine floating in the waters off the coastal towns of Abulug and Ballesteros in Cagayan on March 21.
    The two fishermen identified as Raymart Leste and Willard Labbao, both of Sanja in Aparri town, surrendered the bricks to local authorities in Aparri.
    The bricks containing three kilos of suspected cocaine were turned over to the Philippine National Police Maritime Headquarters in Aparri.
    The PNP estimated the value of the illegal drugs at P15 million.
    The bricks were sent to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency laboratory to confirm if these were cocaine, Col. Ricardo Villanueva said.
    The next day (Tuesday), fishermen recovered three more kilos of cocaine with an estimated value of P15.9 million in the waters off Aparri, Cagayan.
    The illegal drugs were fished out in the waters off Barangay Fuga at around 10:15 p.m., Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Cagayan Valley field office director Joel Plaza said.
    He said the cocaine bricks were wrapped with a tape bearing the logo of a Colombian football team.
    “We are urging the community to report to authorities similar containers containing cocaine that might be washed ashore or found floating in the waters not only in Cagayan but regionwide,” he said.
    Cocaine bricks previously recovered by fishermen were believed to have been intentionally dropped in the waters to avoid detection.
    Philippine National Police chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos ordered the Cagayan police to determine how the illegal drugs reached the country’s shores.
    ”It is possible that this contraband may be destined for another place but was left at sea. Our investigators are working to solve this mystery,” Carlos said.