Photo courtesy of PNP/Facebook
Two foreign suspects were arrested after authorities uncovered suspected illegal drugs valued at about Php 5.8 billion along the coast of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the arrests were made following a joint operation involving several security agencies responding to a grounded speedboat discovered along a coastal barangay.
Authorities said the twin engine vessel was believed to be transporting sacks containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Responding personnel recovered 43 sacks of the suspected drugs along with maritime and communication equipment, including a satellite modem, hand flares, batteries and other safety gear.
Initial reports indicated the two suspects fled toward nearby mountainous terrain when authorities approached the vessel, prompting a coordinated search by the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Later the same day, joint operatives located and arrested the two suspects, identified as Chinese nationals aged 38 and 36, in a barangay in Paluan.
Authorities also intercepted two Filipino men aboard a rubber boat who claimed they had been hired by an unidentified individual to look for and assist the fleeing suspects.
Police said the confiscated substances will undergo laboratory examination and documentation in coordination with the PDEA as authorities continue the investigation into the suspected drug trafficking operation.
