Fisherfolks net more meth worth P179M

BAGUIO CITY — The waters off Ilocos Sur have yielded a growing bounty of crystal meth, with fishermen discovering an additional 25 packs on Monday evening.

This latest find, packaged as “Freeso-dried Durien,” was located off Magsingal town of Ilocos Sur. The haul makes the total recovered in the province since Saturday to 59 packs.

Magsingal police chief Lt. Richard V. Pajo reported that the 25 packs were found in a floating white sack about 20 nautical miles south of Barangay Puro. The estimated weight of this recent seizure is 26.345 kilograms, with a street value of P179,146,000.

This follows an initial discovery on Saturday, 7 June, when two fishermen from Barangay Mantanas, Sta. Cruz, handed over 25 packs of crystal meth to authorities. These were found approximately 30 nautical miles offshore, with 22 packs intact and three melted. The Dangerous Drugs Board valued these at P149,600,000 for an estimated 25 kilograms.

Combined, these discoveries amount to a staggering P328,746,000 worth of crystal meth recovered in just a few days.

The Coast Guard District North Western Luzon believes there’s a strong possibility of illegal drugs drifting northward. This theory is supported by the almost P4 billion worth of similarly packaged crystal meth found by Pangasinan fishermen on Friday, suggesting a broader distribution of these narcotics in the region’s waters.