Some 16 kilograms of high-grade marijuana kush was recovered in an operation conducted off the West Philippine Sea, officials confirmed on 20 October 2025.

According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Palawan Provincial Office, the alleged illegal drugs were valued at a total of P19.2-million, adding that it was turned over by the Western Naval Command through the Naval Task Force 41.

PDEA added that Naval Task Force 41 conducted the retrieval operations following directives to the BRP Lolinato To-ong (PG-902) after initial report from the Maritime CAFGU Active Auxiliary Unit–West (MCAAU-West) revealed that 32 clear and black plastic bags containing the suspected illegal drugs were found floating near Sabina Shoal on October 17.

The discovery prompted Naval Task Force 41 to deploy PG-902 to conduct a search and retrieval operation on the suspicious black bag adrift in the area.

The recovered items were immediately secured and later turned over by the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) of the Palawan Police Provincial Office (PPO) to PDEA Palawan for proper documentation and disposition.

PDEA Palawan has since initiated the evaluation, field testing, and official inventory of the seized drugs, in compliance with standard operating procedures.

Authorities emphasized that the successful recovery highlights ongoing efforts to strengthen maritime security and anti-drug operations, particularly in remote and contested areas like the West Philippine Sea.

The agency continues to investigate the origin of the contraband and whether it is linked to international drug trafficking networks operating across Southeast Asia.