A brick of suspected cocaine was found by a construction worker on the shoreline of Baler, Aurora yesterday in what appears to be the first case of floating drugs found this month following a series of similar discoveries in February.
Police Staff Sgt. Ymell Joseph Tangson, case investigator, said the cocaine brick was found by Ariel Valenzuela, 56, of Barangay Reserva.
Initial investigation revealed that the Baler municipal police station received a report from barangay officials that a cocaine brick was found on the shoreline of Barangay Reserva at around 5 a.m.
Police met Barangay Reserva Captain Michael Valenzuela who took custody of the construction worker. The cocaine brick was surrendered to the police for chemical tests.
Tangson said the cocaine brick weighs around one kilo and was wrapped in a black rubber plastic marked with the word “Lexus” – the name of a luxury car – which was also found on the packaging of a cocaine brick discovered in Paracale, Camarines Norte last Feb. 16.
Baler police conducted a follow-up patrol operation to check if there are more suspicious packages on the barangay shoreline.
This is the latest in a series of floating cocaine discoveries since Feb. 10.
Last month alone, 11 floating cocaine discoveries in the eastern seaboard of the country were reported to the police. Four incidents were recorded last year, the Philippine National Police said.
The 11 discoveries in February resulted to the seizure of at least 165 kilos of cocaine bricks worth around P872 million, according to Police Col. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson.
PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde said the cocaine bricks must have come from a ship bound to Australia. The PNP has coordinated with the Australian government to verify this report, Albayalde said.
He stated that the PNP has programmed floating and flying assets worth more than P1.134 billion to guard the country’s 36,000-kilometer coastline against international drug smugglers and other lawless elements. (Martin A. Sadongdong)