DRUGS AT SEA. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Zambales chief agent Jigger Junniler (third from left) supervises the inventory of surrendered 1.8 kilos of shabu kilos with an estimated value of PHP12.24 million at the Subic Municipal Police Station on Monday night (Oct. 14, 2024). Also present were Barangay Matain, Subic chairperson Marvin Chua (right), and Subic Police Chief Lt. Col. Joe Louies Lo Jr. (2nd from left) and the fishermen. (Contributed photo)
SUBIC, Zambales – Eight fishers, most of them from this town, surrendered to authorities on Monday night nearly two kilos of suspected shabu worth PHP12 million they fished from sea off Lubang Island.
The surrender of the illegal drugs was facilitated by joint elements of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)- Zambales, headed by chief agent Jigger Junniler, together with personnel from the Subic Municipal Police Station and Zambales Police Provincial Office (ZPPO) drug unit.
Earlier, PDEA Zambales received information from Barangay Matain, Subic chairperson Marvin Chua about the fisherfolk who wanted to surrender the suspected shabu which they fished out from the sea about 90 nautical miles off Lubang Island in Mindoro Occidental.
PDEA then coordinated with ZPPO and Subic police to jointly facilitate the turnover of the illegal drugs.
The boat’s captain identified as Jayson Ausejo, 53, a resident of Barangay Matain, told investigators that while they were on their way back home to Matain after several days of fishing, they noticed several plastic bags floating in the sea.
Ausejo ordered his crew to pick all the 11 plastic bags, and upon inspection, they discovered that each contained suspected shabu.
After verification, police confirmed that the plastic bags contained shabu with a total weight of 1,800 grams (1.8 kilos) and with a market value of about PHP12.24 million.
The pieces of evidence were brought to the PDEA Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon) for proper documentation and disposition.
Junniler and Zambales Police Provincial Director Col. Ricardo Pangan Jr. lauded the courage and honesty of Ausejo and his crew members Jay Lenares, Henry Flores, Arthur Bautista, Raffy Villar, John Albert Carles, all of Barangay Matain; Danilo Acosta of Barangay Calapandayan, Subic; and Jinggoy Estrada of Barangay Samal, Mariveles, Bataan, in surrendering the drugs. (PNA)
