Another brick of cocaine found; 3 groups suspected

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ANOTHER brick of cocaine was discovered Monday, February 18, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said it is looking at three international drug syndicates that may be behind the bricks of suspected cocaine found along the country’s eastern seaboard, which faces the Pacific Ocean.

Another brick of cocaine was discovered Monday along the shoreline in Mauban, Quezon province.

A report from the Quezon Provincial Police Station said barangay tanod (village watchman) Johnel Almirez Escudero recovered the item near the coastline at the boundary of Barangay Rosario and San Jose around 9 a.m. Monday.

Escudero reported the discovery to their barangay chairman, who called the police.

The contraband was brought to the regional crime laboratory for examination. All police stations along the coastal areas of Quezon were also directed to be on alert for other packs of cocaine.

PDEA Director Aaron Aquino said they were coordinating with their international counterparts to identify the people behind the shipments.

Illegal drug syndicates from Colombia, China and the Golden Triangle comprise the list of suspects, Aquino said. The Golden Triangle syndicate operates in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Aquino had said that drug trafficking organizations are using the Philippines as the transshipment point for cocaine in view of the country’s porous borders and vast coastlines which make it easier for illegal drugs to be transported undetected.

"Parang nagiging transshipment point tayo ng cocaine and eventually, it will be brought back sa labas naman din to be brought diyan sa mainland China, sa Hong Kong or Australia," he said.

Another angle that they are looking at is that the floating cocaine is a diversion from a bigger shipment of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu.

"'Yung isang anggulo, dina-divert lang nila ang attention ng mga security forces ng ating bansa to pave a way na mas malaking shipment ng shabu. In short, 'pag may recovery, diyan tayo... Lahat ng mga security forces nada-divert 'yung attention diyan, nafo-focus 'yung attention for search and recovery ng cocaine so nagkakaroon ng gap," Aquino said.

"Nao-open 'yung security natin sa ibang areas. Doon ngayon ipapasok 'yung malaking shipment na maybe shabu. Pinapahuli 'yung maliit pero pinapalusot 'yung malaki," he added.

On Tuesday, February 12, fishermen recovered 48 blocks of cocaine along the shore in Purok 2, Barangay Poblacion, Dinagat Island.

The next day, 40 blocks of cocaine were recovered in the shore of Siargao, San Isidro in Surigao del Norte.

On Sunday, February 17, a fisherman turned over blocks of cocaine valued at more than P5 million which he found in the shoreline of Barangay Bagumbayan, Paracale, Camarines Norte.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Senior Superintendent Bernard Banac urged the fisherman and local residents to continue to be vigilant and report to the authorities any suspicious items in their areas particularly near the seas.

He made the call amid reports that there were fishermen or local residents who were keeping cocaine bricks for themselves.

“They should not make money out of it. They should be aware that they will end up in jail if they are caught in possession of the cocaine,” said Banac.