P19.2-M kush recovered at sea

Authorities recovered and turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday, 20 October 2025, several packs of suspected marijuana “kush” found floating in the West Philippine Sea near Sabina Shoal.

At around 8:45 a.m., Philippine Navy personnel handed over thirty-two (32) heat-sealed packs of dried marijuana buds to the PDEA Palawan Provincial Office at 2LT Lagare Pier, Barangay Masipag, Puerto Princesa City. The items, weighing approximately 16 kilograms and estimated to be worth P19.2 million, were discovered inside a duffel bag during a seaborne patrol led by LCDR Ruel M. Gutierrez (PN).

The turnover was witnessed by representatives from the Puerto Princesa City Police Office (PPCPO), Palawan Police Provincial Office, Naval Forces West, and the PDEA MIMAROPA Regional Office.

The recovered materials were brought to the Puerto Princesa City Forensic Unit for laboratory testing and proper disposition. Authorities are determining the source of the illegal drugs and whether they are linked to a broader smuggling operation using the West Philippine Sea as a transit route.