Another block of cocaine found, this time in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY --- The case of floating blocks of cocaine continues. On Tuesday (June 3) afternoon, fishermen found another block of suspected cocaine trapped in their fishing net at the water of Rapu-rapu town in Albay, a police report said.

Last week, the PNP crime laboratory in Legazpi City confirmed that the 40 mysterious packages altogether weighing 39 kilos fished out by fishermen off the waters in Gubat, Sorsogon last May 27 were indeed cocaine.

Nilo Aguilar, 38, Joy Dungaran, 42 and Joven Cambi, 24 all residents of Barangay Sta Barbara, of said town, were able to recover the block of suspected cocaine wrapped in a brown packaging tape, according to Major Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol spokesperson.

Out of curiosity, the said fishermen opened the package. An unpleasant smell came out of the uncovered crystalline substance which promptly led them to turn over the package to the town police station.

Calubaquib said the suspected cocaine brick weighing a kilo with an estimated street value of P5.6M was accordingly turned over to the PNP Crime laboratory for testing.

In February last year, about 11 kilos of similar cocaine packages were recovered in the waters off Camarines Norte and Catanduanes. So far, 51 kilos of cocaine, including the latest find in Albay, have been recovered in Bicol, bringing its total value to P285.6M.