By Niño N. Luces
SORSOGON CITY – At least P120 million worth of cocaine was discovered floating off the waters near Brgy. Calintaan in Matnog, Sorsogon, early morning Wednesday.
Senior Superintendent Marlon Tejada, Sorsogon police director confirmed this on Thursday, relating how the haul – placed in a plastic container and wrapped in packaging tape – was originally found around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Juag Lagoon, a favorite tourist spot here, by a certain Robert Galvez, who immediately reported it to the Matnog Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Immediately, elements of Matnog police rushed to the place to verify the find.
When they opened the plastic container, they found 24 bags containing white powder, weighing an estimated 1 kilo each.
“Sa inisyal na imbestigasyon, lumalabas na inanod yung container sa baybayin. Nung mag low-tide, nakita ‘yung plastic container. Duda ko, itinapon ‘yun galing sa isang barko, baka kasi may nagpapatrolya na maritime police o baka dala ng kung sino saka itinapon sa dagat,” Tejada said.
One of the packages was brought to the crime laboratory in Camp General Simeon Ola, Legazpi City and subsequent tests proved it is cocaine.
Tejada said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) estimated the value of the recovered illegal drugs as amounting to P5 million per pack.
“24 kilos ‘yung na-recover, so it is P120 million,” he said.
