LEGAZPI CITY –– The police crime laboratory confirmed on Thursday that the kilogram of suspected crystalline substance recovered on Tuesday afternoon in the coastal waters off San Jose town in Camarines Sur province was indeed cocaine.
Maj. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol spokesperson, said the laboratory test result indicates that the substance was a kilo of cocaine worth P5.6 million.
Villagers found the cocaine in Barangay Boclod around 2 p.m. Tuesday and this was turned over to the San Jose police station.
Calubaquib said the find brings to a total of 51 kilos (worth P286 million) the accumulated cocaine fished out of Bicol coastal waters since February last year.
She said cocaine was recovered off the shores of Vinzons, and Paracale towns in Camarines Norte, Baras and Bagamanoc towns in Catanduanes, and in San Jose, Camarines Sur.