Cocaine brick worth P5M found in Quezon province

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – One brick of suspected cocaine was found along the shoreline of the island town of Jomalig in Quezon province on Friday, police said Saturday.

Maj. Elizabeth Capistrano, Quezon police public information chief, said a brown package wrapped with packing tape contained white substance believed to be cocaine was recovered by one Jose Mercado along the shore of Barangay (village) Apad around 5 a.m.

Mercado immediately brought his finding to town Councilor Nelmar Sarmiento and together they turned-over the one kilo package to the local police station.

If confirmed as cocaine, police estimates its worth to be P5 million in the streets at the prevailing price of P5 million per kilo, police said.

Located at the eastern part of the Polilio island group in northern Quezon facing the Pacific Ocean, Jomalig is the smallest and farthest island municipality of the province.

In February and July this year, at least eight kilograms of high-grade cocaine were also recovered on the shore of Mauban town.

In April last year, fishermen from the island town of Perez, also in Lamon Bay in the Pacific Ocean, found a total of 28 kilos of cocaine, worth P280 million, and 16.5 liters of a liquid chemical that could make about 13 kilos of crystal meth (shabu) worth P130 million.

Another group of Quezon fishermen also recovered in the area a “sophisticated, high-tech” tracking device used in monitoring drug shipments.

Police have placed northern Quezon particularly the island municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos, Panukulan, Jomalig and Patnanungan, all facing the Pacific Ocean, as critical watch points to prevent the entry of illegal contraband particularly illegal drugs. /muf