CAGAYAN — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 2 said coastal communities can serve as force multipliers by reporting suspicious activities at sea, especially along the northeastern seaboard facing the Pacific Ocean, which authorities consider vulnerable to illegal drug trafficking.

According to PDEA, fisherfolk in the coastal town of Buguey, Cagayan, are being enlisted as partners in the government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs, particularly the smuggling of narcotics through maritime routes.

In a recent activity attended by Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPATs), local fisherfolk associations, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Region 2, officials acknowledged the crucial role of fishermen in monitoring vast coastal waters that are often used as transit points for contraband.

Last year, fishermen from the coastal towns of Claveria, Gonzaga, and Sta. Ana in Cagayan, as well as those in Batanes, discovered hundreds of kilos of suspected shabu drifting at sea. The discoveries led to the recovery of illegal drugs worth billions of pesos.

PDEA Region 2 Director Gil Cesario Castro stressed that stronger community participation is vital in sustaining anti-drug operations, noting that vigilant fisherfolk can help detect and deter illegal activities in remote coastal areas.

He said the program forms part of heightened intelligence and interdiction efforts aimed at strengthening maritime surveillance while building closer partnerships with coastal communities in the fight against illegal drugs.