Fisherfolk net cocaine floating off Isabela

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Fisherfolk turned over to authorities over the weekend at least a kilo of cocaine they found floating off Divalacan in Isabela.

Fisherfolks noticed a black plastic container wrapped in a black rubberized plastic bag with brown packaging tape floating along the shoreline of Sitio Dituwangan in Barangay Bicobian on Saturday, Col. Mariano Rodriguez, Isabela police director, said.

The fisherfolk turned over the cocaine to officers of the Naval Intelligence and Security Group -Northern Luzon (NISG-NL).  The cocaine was turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Sunday through coordination with the town and provincial police.

Field testing by PDEA Region 2 confirmed that the item was cocaine, said Brig. Gen. Angelito Casimiro, Cagayan police director.

Casimiro ordered the Isabela police to closely coordinate with the PDEA in Region 2 in probing deeper into the drug haul, perhaps the biggest in Cagayan provice this year. 

This, while Casimiro hailed the good partnership of the police and villagers in Isabela province. Vigilance and hard work among police officers, Philippine Navy personnel stationed in Aurora and PDEA Region 2 were also the key factor in nailing down the haul,  the police official added.

Casimiro further urged the villagers along the shorelines in Cagayan Valley region to be alert and continue to work with the police in the anti-drug campaign.

In February 2018, a blue container containing 18 tightly-packed plastic bags of cocaine  was noticed by fisherfolk near Barangay Dipudo in Divilacan, Isabela. The drugs were valued to reach P79 million.