Region 8 police recovers 9 more cocaine bricks in Eastern Samar

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July 18, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Amid continuing efforts to recover the rest of the 1.5 tons of cocaine dropped in the waters of Eastern Samar in December 2009, the Philippine National Police in Region 8 has recovered nine (9) more kilos of cocaine in Eastern Samar.

Police Regional Office 8 Director Chief Superintendent Rey Lañada disclosed that at 6:00 o’clock in the evening of July 15, 2010, a certain Gregorio Gabilan, 44, married, of Barangay Alugan, San Policarpo, Eastern Samar surrendered 6 cocaine bricks to the San Policarpo Municipal Police Station.

Directo Lañada added that another fisherman named Wenceslao del Monte, of legal age, married and a resident of Barangay Cahagwayan of the same town, turned over another three (3) kilos of cocaine bricks to the local police station.

The surrender of the said illegal drugs was made through the joint efforts of the Easter Samar Police Provincial Office Intelligence and Investigation Section, and the San Policarpo Municipal Police Station.

General Lañada said the drugs were temporarily placed in the safekeeping of the local police pending their transfer to the custody of the Eastern Samar Provincial Police Office.

Furthermore, Director Lañada said that the composite team continues to conduct search activities for more cocaine bricks in the coastal town of Eastern Samar.

The team is not discounting the possibility that more cocaine bricks might have been washed ashore or still drifting in the sea along the coastal municipalities of Eastern Samar.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force commander Deputy Director General Edgardo E. Acuña said more anti-narcotics agents and drug-sniffing dogs were sent to Eastern Samar to search for the missing bulk of the smuggled cocaine.

He said PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa instructed him to supervise “Oplan: Samar Bricks” in coordination with the PRO8 and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency under Senior Undersecretary Dionisio Santiago.