P15.5-M floating drugs found near Lubang

SUBIC TOWN, Zambales — Fishermen turned over some P15.5 million illegal drugs they found floating near Lubang Island in Mindoro Occidental Monday afternoon.

In two separate turnovers, eight fishermen turned over 1,800 grams of suspected shabu to the Subic Municipal Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Zambales at the Barangay Hall of Matain, while another crew member turned over 490 grams of illegal drugs to Barangay Sisiman in Mariveles, Bataan.

According to Zambales Police Provincial Office Director Ricardo Pangan Jr., these eight fishermen found 11 pieces of transparent plastic pack containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu that was knot tied.

Pangan said that the illegal drugs have a total weight of 1800 grams of shabu worth P12,240,000.

Aside from the drugs, the fishermen also found two plastic packs with Chinese markings and a green eco bag along with the drugs.

The fishermen recounted that while they were fishing some 90 nautical miles from Lubang Island, they found the illegal drugs along with the said pieces of evidence floating. The group then picked up the drugs and went back to their hometown to surrender the pieces of evidence to the authorities.

The fishermen were identified as Jayson Ausejo Y. Ponce, Jay Lenares Y. Agustin, Henry Flores Y. Pinton, Artur Baustista Y. Artagame, Raffy Villar Y. Zuñega, John Albert Carles Y. Fuentes, Danilo N. Acosta, and Jinggoy Estrada. All fishermen are from Subic Town, except Estrada who is from Samal, Bataan.

Meanwhile, fisherman Roland Abasca surrendered two packs of suspected shabu weighing more or less 490 grams to the Bataan Police Provincial Office at the Barangay Sisiman Hall on Monday afternoon.

Abasca was among the fishermen who found the illegal drugs floating some 90 nautical miles from Lubang Island. The market value of the drugs he turned over to the Bataan PIU and PDEU was worth P3,332,000.