P5-million cocaine seized in Quezon; 3 drug suspects slain

MANILA, Philippines — A cocaine brick was recovered along the shore on Jomalig Island in Quezon on Friday.

Police said a resident found a brown package, which contained around a kilo of cocaine with an estimated value of P5 million in Barangay Apad at around 5 a.m.

In July, seven cocaine bricks valued at around P35 million were recovered along the shore in Barangay Cagsiay 1 in Mauban, also in Quezon. The blocks of cocaine, each weighing a kilo, were found by a man while having a picnic with his family.

More than 100 kilos of cocaine have been recovered in the waters off Davao Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Surigao del Sur and Batanes as well as Dinagat and Siargao islands since February.

Most of the bricks have similar markings, which authorities said could be an indication that the illegal drugs have the same manufacturer.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said international drug rings could be dumping the cocaine bricks for recovery by their cohorts or to avoid detection by authorities.

Meanwhile, three drug suspects were killed in anti-drug operations in Bulacan in the past two days.

Col. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan police director, said Abdullah Disomnong, Lolito Baluran and Lester Alonzo shot it out with police officers who posed as buyers of shabu in stings in Barangay Pulong Buhangin, Sta. Maria; Sto. Cristo, San Jose del Monte and Maasim, San Ildefonso, respectively.

Bersaluna said a caliber .45 pistol, two .38-caliber revolvers, 21 sachets of shabu and marked money were recovered from the fatalities. – With Ramon Efren Lazaro