At least P3.99 billion worth of suspected shabu have been recovered off the coastal barangays in Pangasinan from Thursday to Friday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.
On Thursday, fishermen found about P1.17 billion worth of illegal drugs placed in sacks off the coasts of Bolinao, Agno and Bani towns.
On Friday, a total of 452 more vacuum-sealed packs, each with one kilo of suspected shabu, were recovered by fishers in Barangay Balingasay in Bolinao and Barangay Boboy in Agno.
On May 29, 2025, at least P1.5 billion worth of floating shabu found by 10 Bataan fishermen off the waters of Masinloc, Zambales were also surrendered to authorities.
“As of this update, a total of 28 sacks of suspected shabu have been recovered, with local fishermen playing a crucial role in identifying and reporting suspicious floating packages,” the Philippine Coast Guard District Northwestern Luzon said in a statement.
Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III commended the fisherfolk, PDEA, PCG and the Philippine National Police for the recovery of the illegal drugs.
“The monitoring and alertness of the fishermen are praiseworthy since they immediately turned over the contraband to the authorities. This is a huge success in our fight against illegal drugs,” he said.
He also appealed for a deeper investigation to determine the sources of the contraband and punish those involved in the illegal drugs trade.
PDEA Pangasinan officer Rechie Camacho, in an interview Friday night, said law enforcement agencies are still determining the source of the illegal drugs.
He also appealed to the public to immediately report and turn over to authorities suspicious shipments they would find.
“Do not have second thoughts in surrendering floating objects like these. You will be rewarded by PDEA and other agencies,” he added.
