P6-million cocaine recovered off Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Local fishermen fished out a block of cocaine with an estimated value of P6 million off the coast of Mohammad Ajul town in Basilan yesterday. 

Mayor Ibrahim Ballaho said the fishermen spotted the cocaine brick in the waters between Langil and Linungan islands at around 8 a.m. 

Ballaho said the fishermen turned over the cocaine to Basilan police director Col. Rufino Inot.

“There could be more. We are trying to ... recover it all... We might face accusations that the illegal drugs came from our place,” Ballaho said. 

He offered a reward of P10,000 for every block of cocaine that fishermen would recover.  

Authorities said the cocaine brick could have been intentionally dropped in the sea to be picked up by illegal drug traders or members of a drug cartel. 

Inot said it was the first time that cocaine was recovered in Basilan. 

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

Police officials had earlier called on fishermen to immediately surrender recovered cocaine bricks.

Drug suspect killed

Meanwhile, in Bulacan, Marvin John Barrientos allegedly shot it out with police officers in a drug bust in Barangay Peñabatan, Pulilan on Sunday night.

Col. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan police director, said the fatality yielded four sachets of shabu, a caliber .38 revolver, a black Honda motorcycle and marked money.

Michael Ancheta, chairman of Pug-os, Sinait, Ilocos Sur, was arrested last week after a raid on his house allegedly yielded around 10 grams of shabu valued at P68,000.

In Isabela, Rodrigo Castillo, 37, who was recently released from prison on drug charges, was arrested during a drug sting in Barangay Dos, San Mateo, also on Sunday. – Ramon Efren Lazaro, Raymund Catindig, Artemio Dumlao