Fishers recover P1.17-B ‘shabu’ off Pangasinan
LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Fishermen from three coastal towns in Pangasinan recovered seven sacks containing at least P1.17 billion worth of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) while returning from fishing trips in separate locations in the local waters on Thursday, the police and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said in reports on Friday.
The find came a week after fishermen from Bataan province found 10 sacks that also contained illegal drugs in the waters off Zambales province facing the West Philippine Sea.
Regarding Thursday’s recovery, local police said five sacks were found floating about 56 kilometers (30 nautical miles) off the villages of Balingasay and Luciente I in Bolinao between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Another was recovered some 35.18 km (19 nautical miles) off Barangay Aloleng in Agno town around the same time.
A sack was found and recovered by fishermen earlier, at 8 a.m., in the waters at least 44 km (24 nautical miles) off Barangay Dacap Sur in Bani town.
The sacks contained vacuum-sealed transparent plastic packs marked with foreign characters and the label “Freeze-dried Durian.”
Police said the five sacks found in Bolinao weighed a total of 130 kilograms and were valued at P844 million. The sack recovered in Bani weighed 25 kilos, with an estimated value of P170 million. The contents of the sack from Agno were still being assessed as of Friday afternoon.
Despite K-9 inspections yielding negative results, which authorities believed to be due to the triple-layered vacuum seals, the PCG said the recovered items were properly documented and secured.
Inventory
A chemist from the Pangasinan police office in Lingayen town conducted an initial examination of the packed substance.
“Each sack contained sealed packs of crystalline substances, suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as shabu,” the PCG said.
In Bolinao, the fishermen turned over the sacks to Councilors Crisanto Manzano and Jonumer Caasi, who then coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’ (PDEA) Ilocos regional office.
In Agno and Bani, the sacks were reported to barangay officials and later to local police.
Capt. Mark Larsen Mariano, commander of the Coast Guard District Northwestern Luzon, ordered all PCG stations and substations “to intensify coastal security patrols and increase community engagement with local fisherfolk to improve maritime surveillance and ensure prompt reporting of similar incidents.”
The PCG urged local fishermen and other maritime stakeholders to report any suspicious activity or floating package they may encounter.
On May 29, 10 fishermen from Bataan also discovered some 222 kilos of shabu, contained in 10 sacks and with an estimated street value of P1.5 billion, in the waters off Masinloc, Zambales.
2024 drug haul
The fishermen initially secured the contraband on a grounded barge at Barangay Sisiman in Mariveles, Bataan, fearing possible reprisal from its owners.
In 2024, similar off-shore recoveries of packages later confirmed to be that of illegal drugs left were reported across the country.
On March 8 that year, fisherman Samuel Dalimpapas found 20 bricks of suspected cocaine off Barangay Tangbo in Arteche town, Eastern Samar. When confirmed, the cocaine weighed a over 20 kilos and was valued at P111.85 million.
On the same day, students found another brick of cocaine along the shores of Barangay Bitaug in Burgos, Surigao del Norte. It weighed over a kilo and was estimated to be worth P5.7 million.
On June 24, 24 packs of shabu were found off San Juan Bay in Ilocos Sur, while another 18 packs, marked with Chinese characters, were discovered off Caoayan town on June 26.
On July 9, an estimated P6 million worth of shabu was discovered floating in the coastal waters of Bubon in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.
On Aug. 13, police recovered about a kilo of suspected shabu, worth P6.8 million along the coast of Lian, Batangas.
On Aug. 18, a fisherman from Agno, Pangasinan, found a container of shabu weighing about 16.5 kilos and worth around P112.2 million, while out in the sea some 74 km (40 nautical miles) west of Barangay Patar, Bolinao town. —WITH REPORTS FROM NESTOR CORRALES, JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
