Yet more cocaine blocks — worth an estimated 212 million pesos — have been recovered from waters off the east coast of the Philippines.
Fishermen recovered at least 40 bricks of the drug, offf Burgos, Surigao del Norte, yesterday (Sunday, April 7).
It is only the latest large haul of cocaine bricks discovered in recent months.
A report from the Caraga Police Regional Office said the bricks were discovered by three local fishermen at about 4.30pm.
They were sealed in transparent plastic and wrapped with a fishnet about two kilometres from shore, police said.
The total weight of the bricks was about 40 kilos and they bore “3B Bugatti” markings, similar to markings found on 40 bricks discovered by the locals in San Isidro, Surigao del Norte, in February.
Authorities have yet to determine the exact weight and estimated street value of the cocaine.
The discovery of the cocaine bricks is only the latest in a series of similar incidents.
In February 2019 alone, at least 12 discoveries of floating bricks of cocaine were reported to the police.
During the said period, about 872 kilos of the drug worth some 872 million pesos were found, said Police spokesman Colonel Bernard Banac.
The discoveries were in Camarines Norte (February 10, 11); Dinagat Islands (February 12); Surigao del Norte (February 14, 15); Camarines Norte (February 16); Quezon province (February 17, 18); Nueva Ecija (February 24); Surigao del Norte (February 24); and Davao Oriental (Febraury 24, 25).
Another discovery was reported to police on March 2 when a brick of cocaine was found in Baler, Aurora.
Last year, at least four similar discoveries were reported to the police.
Previously, the nation’s police chief General Oscar Albayalde suggested that the Philippines had become a transshipment point of cocaine by big drug syndicates.
He also said drugs could have been connected to the 500 kilos of cocaine blocks found off Papua New Guinea last year.
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