Big liquid cocaine haul near Calaguas Island alarms PNP

LAGUNA --- Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday expressed concern over the successive discoveries of cocaine in the waters north of the country. “This is something new sa atin dahil usually nakikita natin dito ay shabu, dito is cocaine. Iyong source niya as of this time di pa natin maa-certain at kung saan ide-deliver,” Albayalde said in a press briefing at Camp Vicente, Laguna Tuesday. (This is something new to us because we usually see shabu, but this time it’s cocaine. We are uncertain of its source and intended recipient as of this time.) Albayalde presented before members of media 28 packets of cocaine valued at P280M fished in the waters of Camarines Norte on April 15. The packets of cocaine are aside from a container of suspected liquid cocaine found floating off the waters near Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte last Sunday, April 22. Authorities said the 16.5 liters of liquid substance can be used to make at least 13 kilograms of cocaine which will have a street value of P130M. Albayalde said another group of fishermen found a device floating near the waters where the liquid substance was found. The device was later identified as a tracking device. “Locator ito para makuha kung saan itong mga cocaine na nagfofloat na ito… Already high tech nga lang ito kasi may tracking device ito probably may app ito sa cellphone,” Albayalde explained. The device will be sent to technical experts for further examination. (It is a locator that tracks these floating cocaine…they are already high tech because it uses a tracking device which probably has an app on the cellphone.) The PNP chief thanked the fishermen for not taking advantage of the contraband. He promised to assist them in claiming their reward from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for their efforts. Meanwhile, police are still tracing the origin of the discovered illegal substance. — Japhet Cablaida | UNTV News & Rescue