S. Leyte fisherman recovers 22 bags of high grade marijuana

Twenty-two bags of high grade marijuana leaves worth P47 million have been turned over to the police after these were found by a fisherman in San Ricardo town, Southern Leyte. Robert Dejon, INQ

SAN RICARDO, Southern Leyte – Diosdado Bakhawon was fishing at the seawaters of Kinachawa village in San Ricardo town here on Tuesday morning when he got the biggest surprise of his life.

He pulled out a blue plastic container that he found floating on the sea. When he opened it, the container contained 22 plastic bags of high grade marijuana worth P42 million.

Bakhawon immediately turned out the dried marijuana leaves to Demetrio Malto, barangay captain of Kinachawa who then alerted the police.

In a report submitted to Senior Supt. Warren de Leon, Southern Leyte police director, Insp. Benjamin Florano, San Ricardo police chief, said verification showed that the dried leaves were indeed high grade marijuana.

Florano said the 22 big bags weighed a total of 23.5 kilos and were brought to the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office (SLPPO) for further examination including the plastic container.

Chief Insp. Ariel Nuñez, SLPPO Intelligence chief, said they were still conducting an investigation to determine where these marijuana leaves came from.

He said that there was a possibility that these came from an international ship that passes through the Pacific Ocean. The owner might have dropped off the package out of fear of getting caught.

Nuñez said the container might have been dropped for quiet sometime because rock oysters were already growing on it.