LAOAG CITY – Forensic test confirmed Friday that the light blue plastic package recovered in the waters of Pasuquin town, Ilocos Norte on Thursday contain 995.31 grams of shabu worth around PHP6.7 million.
A fisherman from Sitio Nagabungan, Barangay Davila in Pasuquin saw the floating plastic pack on July 11 and reported it immediately to the members of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group that are conducting seaborne patrol near the area.
“The recovered pack is similar to the stacks of shabu previously discovered along the coastal waters of Burgos in Ilocos Norte as well as in Ilocos Sur, and Pangasinan,” said Police Regional Office-Ilocos (PRO-1) director PBGen. Lou Evangelista in a media interview on Friday.
He said the findings highlight the extensive drug threat facing the region, as he underscored the role of law enforcement agencies as well as the community in addressing and combating illegal drug activities.
Police Colonel Frederick Obar, director of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office, reiterated to the local police on Friday to intensify coastal operations and encourage fisherfolk to report immediately to local authorities if they find similar items or if they encounter any suspicious activity. (PNA)
