P19.2M MARIJUANA FOUND DRIFTING IN WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

MEMBERS of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Navy (PNP) on Monday intercepted some P19.2 million worth of “high-grade” marijuana or kush from the waters off the West Philippine Sea.

PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Navy soldiers discovered a black duffle bag drifting at sea during a routine maritime patrol near Sabina Shoal.

Upon inspection, 32 heat-sealed plastic packs filled with dried buds of suspected marijuana, weighing approximately 16 kilograms, were found.

The seized items were brought to the Philippine Navy facility at Lagare Pier, Tidepole in Bgy. Masipag, Puerto Princesa City, where documentation and inventory were conducted, in coordination with the PDEA Palawan Provincial Office.

The turned over items were initially brought to the Police Regional Office 4B- Palawan Provincial Forensic Unit for examination and proper disposition.

Nartatez lauded the coordinated effort that led to the seizure, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in maritime security.