Around P20 million worth of suspected cocaine was recovered off the waters of Rizal, Palawan after a fisherman spotted suspicious floating packages and alerted authorities, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.
Police said the discovery was made on the afternoon of May 10 near the shoreline of Barangay Taburi in Rizal town.
According to the initial investigation, the fisherman found two floating packages wrapped in black plastic about 25 miles off the coast and immediately reported the incident to authorities.
Personnel of the Rizal Municipal Police Station under the Palawan Police Provincial Office later retrieved the packages, which were found to contain around two kilograms of suspected cocaine.
The seized items were turned over for proper documentation and laboratory examination.
PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. commended the fisherman for reporting the suspicious packages, saying public cooperation remains crucial in preventing illegal drugs from reaching communities.
“Malaking bagay ang pakikipagtulungan ng ating mamamayan sa mga ganitong sitwasyon. Ang simpleng pagre-report ng kahina-hinalang bagay ay malaking tulong upang maiwasan ang pagkalat ng ilegal na droga sa ating mga komunidad,” Nartatez said.
Authorities are now investigating the possible origin of the illegal drugs and whether the floating packages may be connected to a larger drug smuggling route passing through western Philippine waters.
The PNP said maritime and coastal monitoring operations in coordination with other government agencies continue as part of efforts to intercept illegal drugs entering the country through sea routes.