A 52-year-old resident of Patnanungan, Quezon turned over P34.52 million worth of suspected cocaine to police on Saturday, months after he reportedly mistook the seized items for ordinary trash.
The Calabarzon police regional office said the resident, identified only as “Joe,” surrendered the illegal drugs to the Patnanungan Municipal Police Station at around 11:30 a.m.
Police said Joe found five tape-sealed plastic bags in February in Barangay Busdak, Patnanungan. Believing the bags contained waste materials, he brought them to a dump site.
Authorities said Joe later realized the items could be illegal drugs after learning about a police appeal for residents to report similar packages. The appeal was issued after a fisherman turned over 3.28 kilos of cocaine worth P16.7 million that he found in the same town in April.
Joe then reported the bags he had found and voluntarily surrendered them to the police. The items were later confirmed to contain 6.51 kilos of suspected cocaine worth P34.52 million.
In a statement, the Philippine National Police said it is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the source of the cocaine and identify the drug network behind the shipment.
“We are determined to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and ensure that all persons responsible will be held accountable under the law,” said PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.
“We will continue to focus on the investigation to find out where this (cocaine) came from and who are the people behind it,” the PNP chief added.
Calabarzon police director Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan said the surrender of the illegal drugs was a “clear proof of the effective relationship between the police, local government, and the community.”
“This kind of cooperation by the people is a great help in maintaining peace and security in the entire Calabarzon region,” added Marantan.