Fisherman recovers block of 'cocaine' floating off Batanes

A fisherman in Batanes found on Tuesday afternoon a block of suspected cocaine floating in the sea, a police official said Wednesday.

Batanes Provincial Police director Colonel Merwin Quarteros in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB's "Dobol B sa News TV" confirmed the discovery of the suspected contraband.

Quarteros said the block of cocaine wrap in several layers of plastic wrapper was found floating in the sea off Batanes at about 3:15 p.m.

He said this was the first time a floating cocaine block was found in Batanes waters.

Also Quarteros said that when the block was brought to the police station, part of its outer wrapped was already removed.

Out of curiosity, Quarteros said, the fisherman opened the outermost  wrapper and when he found the stuff inside suspicious, he turned it over to the police.

A string of recoveries of floating blocks of cocaine in Philippine seas have alarmed authorities as drug syndicates have appeared to be more aggressive in the conduct of their illegal activities.

Since February 10, over 100 kilograms of cocaine have been recovered from the country's eastern shores —from the provinces of Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur in Luzon, to the Dinagat group of islands in the Caraga region, Davao Oriental, Surigao Del Norte, and Surigao Del Sur in Mindanao. —LBG, GMA News