PH Navy recovers P214-M worth of suspected cocaine in Palawan waters

The Philippine Navy said Sunday that one of its patrol vessels recovered several bricks of suspected cocaine worth at least P214 million that were floating off the coast of Palawan.

The Navy said BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS-178) spotted the alleged narcotics on Saturday while it was conducting Maritime and Sovereignty Patrol (MARPAT/SOVPAT) operations under the Western Naval Command (WNC) when it spotted the suspected narcotics floating in the West Philippine Sea.

“While underway about 1.2 nautical miles southeast of Piedras Point, Puerto Princesa City, the ship’s crew found two floating sacks, which were later determined to belong to a local fishing boat, F/B Shernie,” the WNC said in a press release.

BRP Ladislao Diwa successfully recovered and secured the two sacks containing 36 bricks of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of ?214.4 million. 

After arriving at the NDOB Pier, the vessel’s crew turned over the recovered items to the Naval Intelligence and Security Group–West (NISG-W) and subsequently to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Palawan for testing, evaluation, and proper disposition, the Navy said. —RF, GMA Integrated News