Seven bricks of suspected cocaine valued at P35 million were found by a 44-year-old fisherman floating off the waters of Mauban, Quezon yesterday.
Fisherman Ruel Perez said he and his family were having a picnic near the coastline of Barangay Cagsiay when he noticed some packages floating.
Perez checked what they were and was surprised to see them similar to the ones being recovered in various parts of the country that contain cocaine.
He immediately sought police assistance.
Police Lt. Col. Julio Go, chief of the intelligence unit of Quezon Provincial Police Office, said that they have turned over the bricks to the police Crime Laboratory to determine if the white substance inside them is indeed cocaine.
“The bricks contain white substance wrapped on a packaging tape with Rockstar energy drink logo believed to be cocaine,” said Go.
More than 200 bricks of cocaine have been found in various coastal areas from Mindanao to Luzon since February this year.
The cocaine bricks are believed to be part of a big haul that was supposed to be delivered to Australia last year.
Authorities suspect that the cocaine drug haul may have been deliberately dumped in the high seas after the transporters were intercepted by foreign Coast Guard personnel or the vessel carrying them met a mishap. (Aaron Recuenco)