The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating possible links between foreign drug personalities operating in the country and the recent seizure of P19.2 million worth of high-grade marijuana in the West Philippine Sea.

PNP Acting Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said they are closely coordinating with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and other international law enforcement agencies to trace the source of the confiscated drugs and identify those behind the smuggling operation.

“Lalo nating pinagtitibay ang koordinasyon sa Interpol upang matukoy kung sino ang nasa likod nito (Coordination with Interpol now is being strengthened to determine the people behind these illegal operations),” Nartatez said.

“We are strengthening our intelligence exchange to track foreign drug personalities who may be operating in or targeting the Philippines. Kailangan natin ng tulong ng ibang ahensya dahil malawak ang ating binabantayan (We need help from other agencies because our monitoring scope is vast),” he added.

In addition to its international coordination efforts, Nartatez said the PNP is working with local government units (LGUs) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to strengthen anti-drug measures in coastal areas.

These include community meetings and information drives aimed at helping residents recognize and report illegal drug activities at sea.

“We will continue to reach out to our coastal communities to raise awareness and help them identify what to do if they encounter illegal drugs at sea,” Nartatez said.

Authorities recently recovered a cache of marijuana off the coast of Palawan, marking the latest in a series of maritime drug recoveries.

In June, authorities intercepted P8.8 billion worth of illegal drugs packed in floating parcels in the waters off Central Luzon and the Ilocos Region.