Suspected cocaine brick found off Catanduanes

MANILA, Philippines — A package containing a suspected cocaine brick was found floating off the coast of Catanduanes on Thursday.

The package was recovered by fisherman John Anthony Tabinas in the waters of Baras town, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo said, citing reports reaching his office. 

Balilo said the package, which was turned over to the PCG station in Catanduanes, was brought to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory for examination.

Several cocaine bricks have been recovered in the waters off Davao Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Dinagat and Siargao islands since last month.

Authorities said drug dealers could have dumped the cocaine bricks in the water for recovery by their cohorts.

It has yet to be determined where the illegal drugs originated.

Meanwhile, anti-narcotics agents yesterday destroyed 6,700 fully grown marijuana plants and 10 kilos of dried marijuana leaves with an estimated value of P2.5 million.

The marijuana plants were uprooted from a plantation at the boundary of Sugpon, Ilocos Sur and Kibungan, Benguet on Wednesday.

The alleged cultivator of the plantation, Eleo Awas, eluded arrest.

Maute drug suspect

In Lanao del Norte, Mamintal Manan, a drug suspect who reportedly remitted the proceeds of his drug trafficking activities to Maute militants, was killed in an alleged shootout with police officers in Barangay Pugaan, Ditsaan Ramain town on Wednesday.

Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police said law enforcers are preparing for possible retaliation by the cohorts of the fatality.

Mijares said Manan was also wanted for the killing of Senior Police Officer 1 Mohammad Liwalug in Lanao del Sur last Dec. 4.

‘Narco’ cop

In Cebu, a police officer on the drug matrix of the Central Visayas police and tagged as the henchman of detained drug ring leader Rustic Ygot has gone absent without official leave, Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, Central Visayas police chief, said.

Sinas said Police Officer 1 Regie Tan ”mysteriously disappeared” after Ygot’s alleged contact, Jocelyn Encila was arrested, and  28 kilos of shabu valued at P190 million were recovered in Cebu City earlier this week.  – John Unson, Eva Visperas, Non Alquitran