ZAMBALES — A fishing vessel carrying approximately 1.5 tons of shabu, with an estimated street price of P10.2 nillion was intercepted off the waters of the province of Zambales past midnight of Friday (June 20).
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in a joint operation with the Philippine Navy-Northern Luzon Naval Command, the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, and Police Regional Office 3, stopped the vessel in one of the country’s biggest drug busts at sea.
Onboard the vessel, a Philippine-registered fishing boat, was a foreign national of Chinese-Malaysian descent believed to be a member of Sam Gor International Crime Syndicate – the same drug cartel behind the recent dumping of floating shabu in the coastal areas of Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.
“The syndicate was about to transport another round of shabu packs into the country were it not for the timely interception. The delivery was done under cover of darkness to dodge authorities”, said PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R Nerez, adding that the boat’s local owner has a lot of explaining to do in terms of its participation in the foiled smuggling try.
“Were it not for the strong patrolling capability of the Philippine Navy, and the well-coordinated interdiction efforts of law enforcement agencies, the drugs could have reach our communities” the PDEA Chief noted.
PDEA, together with its law enforcement and maritime partners, reaffirms its commitment to safeguard the country’s territorial waters from becoming entry and exit points of illegal drugs. (UnliNews Online)
