Quezon cops call for surrender of cocaine washed ashore in town

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — Police in the island municipality of Patnanungan in Quezon province are intensifying their public information campaign, urging residents to surrender any remaining cocaine that may have washed ashore there.

“We urge island residents to voluntarily surrender any remaining cocaine they may still possess,” Col. Romulo Albacea, director of the Quezon Police Provincial Office (QPPO), told the Inquirer in an online interview on Wednesday.

Albacea warned that authorities are continuing investigations to trace the whereabouts of suspected cocaine packages believed to have drifted onto the island.

READ: Another suspected cocaine pack washes ashore in Quezon town

“Those found still in possession of these items will face charges for illegal possession of illegal drugs. That is why we continue our information dissemination campaign,” he said.

On June 1, a fisherman surrendered to the Patnanungan police station a tape-sealed package containing a white crystalline substance believed to be cocaine.

Authorities said the package weighed 1,107.8 grams and carried an estimated standard drug value of P5.87 million if confirmed to be cocaine.

Albacea said laboratory confirmation is still pending, but noted that the recovered package was likely related to previously discovered cocaine.

The latest find marked the third cocaine recovery this year along the shoreline of Barangay Busdak in Patnanungan.

On April 3, another fisherman turned over three tape-sealed packages of cocaine valued at P16.7 million.

Earlier, on May 16, a local fisherman surrendered five sealed packages of cocaine worth P34.5 million after reportedly discovering them along the Barangay Busdak shoreline in February.

The fisherman initially mistook the packages for garbage and left them at a dumpsite before eventually reporting them to authorities.

Albacea earlier said the cocaine likely originated from outside the country and may have been abandoned after rough sea conditions prevented intended recipients from retrieving the shipment, causing the packages to drift ashore.

READ: Cocaine found in Quezon coast likely from foreign sources – police

Patnanungan, located east of Polillo Island and facing the Pacific Ocean, is among Quezon province’s remote island municipalities.

Albacea stressed that public vigilance and cooperation remain crucial in the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. He urged residents to report suspicious or unusual activities to authorities immediately.

Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan recently visited the island on two occasions and encouraged residents to support the government’s anti-drug campaign.

“If you discover illegal drugs while fishing, immediately turn them over to authorities. Do not be tempted. Illegal drugs destroy lives, especially among the youth,” Tan told local fishermen.

Quezon’s 1,066-kilometer coastline has long been considered vulnerable to illegal drug trafficking, with several major drug recoveries recorded over the years.

Police have identified northern Quezon, particularly the Polillo group of island towns, as critical watch points against the entry of smuggled goods, especially illegal drugs./coa