logo
Fishers found P1.5B worth of shabu off Zambales waters —PDEA

Fishers found P1.5B worth of shabu off Zambales waters —PDEA

GMA Network03-06-2025

Ten fishermen from Bataan discovered ten sacks of shabu worth P1.5 billion floating off the waters of Masinloc, Zambales, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Monday evening.
In a statement, PDEA said the fishermen found the illegal drugs on May 29 and turned them over to authorities on Monday, June 2.
Inside the ten sacks were 223 assorted vacuum-sealed transparent plastic packs containing the illegal drugs.
In a separate statement, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the agency received a report about the sacks of suspected narcotics from a fisherman.
Out of fear of possible reprisal, the PCG said the fisherman secured the contraband aboard a grounded barge in Mariveles, Bataan.
Coast Guard K9 units inspected the items and confirmed the presence of suspected illegal drugs.
The Coast Guard Station Bataan immediately coordinated with the PDEA-Bataan that conducted an on-site assessment and confirmed that the recovered items were indeed illegal drugs.
The PDEA Regional Office 3 ordered a probe into the origin of the drugs. Anti-illegal drug agents in Bataan and Zambales are collaborating with other law enforcement agencies and local governments.
According to the PDEA, the recovered drugs will undergo forensic examination.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PCG: Human trafficking victims among survivors of capsized boat in Palawan
PCG: Human trafficking victims among survivors of capsized boat in Palawan

GMA Network

time17 hours ago

  • GMA Network

PCG: Human trafficking victims among survivors of capsized boat in Palawan

Several Filipinos supposedly bound for Malaysia were among the 11 persons on board a motorboat that capsized in the vicinity waters of Canibugan Island, Balabac, Palawan last June 8, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday. According to the PCG, there were eight rescued individuals, two others missing, and one fatality from the MBCA Kumpit. The Coast Guard said the survivors were rescued by residents and fishermen from the nearby island. Initial investigation showed the passengers of the motorboat first arrived in Puerto Princesa City where they were picked up by a white van. 'After a six-to-seven-hour drive, they were transferred to a tricycle that brought them to a coastal pickup point. Then, they boarded MBCA Kumpit, with two crew members on board,' the PCG said in a statement. 'The survivors said they were on the way to Malaysia via a backdoor route in Bataraza, Palawan.' Further, the survivors told authorities that MBCA Kumpit encountered engine failure and began to drift in open waters. The PCG said a female passenger from Cavite was the lone fatality in the incident. Moreover, authorities were able to locate another group of individuals who were trying to exit the country in Rio Tuba, Bataraza also in Palawan. 'While they initially claimed to be tourists, the authorities are investigating the intelligence tip from earlier survivors that said they were part of the same illegal recruitment and transport operation bound for Malaysia via the backdoor route,' the PCG said. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News

PDEA: Sam Gor syndicate behind P7B worth of shabu found in PH waters
PDEA: Sam Gor syndicate behind P7B worth of shabu found in PH waters

GMA Network

time18 hours ago

  • GMA Network

PDEA: Sam Gor syndicate behind P7B worth of shabu found in PH waters

An international crime syndicate called the Sam Gor is behind the sacks containing over P7 billion worth of shabu recovered from Philippine waters recently, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Tuesday. "Sam Gor is a five-drug triad alliance namely: the 14K, Bamboo Union, Big Circle Gang, Sun Yeen On, and Wo Shing Wo, whose leaders are based in Hong Kong and Taiwan,' PDEA director general Undersecretary Isagani Nerez said in a statement. 'Their members simply called it 'The Company,'' he added. As of Monday, the PDEA said 56 local fishermen have surrendered a total of 1,038 kilos of suspected shabu worth P7,058,400,000 in 40 turnover incidents to authorities. This is one of the country's largest maritime seizures of illegal drugs in recent years, according to the PDEA. The sacks of shabu were found in the coastal areas of Dacap Sur, Bani; Boboy and Macaboboni, Agno; and Luciente I, Balingasay, Concordia and Poblacion, Bolinao—all located in the province of Pangasinan Some were found in Barangay Mantanas and Dili in Sta Cruz, Ilocos Sur. Floating shabu was also found off the waters of Masinloc, Zambales. 'Based on the packaging of shabu packs recovered in Philippine shores, they were contained in teabags with Chinese markings - a signature trademark associated with Sam Gor,' Nerez said. "Sam Gor gained notoriety by engaging in all sorts of unconventional methods of drug smuggling, including the use of the high seas. They dump their illicit goods to be retrieved later by contact local cohorts. It's a good thing that our hero fishermen got there first before the drugs fell into the wrong hands,' he added. Citing reports, the PDEA said Sam Gor operates in various countries across the Asia-Pacific Region, including the Philippines. 'It is largely involved in trafficking methamphetamine, and is believed to have an estimated 40 to 70 percent control of the drug market in the region, raking up profits up to more than $17 billion in revenue a year,' the PDEA said. 'Aside from shabu, the syndicate also funnels big proportions of heroin, ketamine, other synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals,' it added. The PDEA said Sam Gor is named after the nickname of its suspected founder/leader, 'Tse Chi Lop', a Chinese-Canadian who was arrested four years ago in the Netherlands. He was eventually extradited to Australia in December 2022 to face drug trafficking charges. According to the PDEA, he is considered Asia's 'El Chapo', a reference to Joaquin Guzman, a former Mexican drug lord who became one of the world's most powerful traffickers of narcotics. —RF, GMA Integrated News

Ex-Customs official Guban links deputy commissioner to 2018 drug shipment
Ex-Customs official Guban links deputy commissioner to 2018 drug shipment

GMA Network

time2 days ago

  • GMA Network

Ex-Customs official Guban links deputy commissioner to 2018 drug shipment

Former Customs officer Jimmy Guban speaks at the QuadComm hearing on Monday, June 9, 2025. Former Customs official Jimmy Guban on Monday linked a deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to a drug shipment that was smuggled into the country in magnetic lifters in 2018. During the hearing of the House Quad Committee (QuadComm), Guban said he was previously designated as the officer-in-charge at the Port of Manila and was ordered to monitor drug shipments in Manila. He claimed that he identified the individuals involved in the shipment in 2018. 'Wala namang nawala. Nahuli lahat ng droga. May umamin na merong may-ari sa Senate investigation. Na-promote ang district collector... until now maybe deputy commissioner pa rin, at ako po ang kinulong,' Guban said. (Nothing was lost. All the drugs were seized. Someone even admitted ownership during the Senate investigation. The district collector... was promoted, maybe still the deputy commissioner until now, while I was the one who got imprisoned.) Following this, Manila Representative Benny Abante questioned Guban if the former district collector knew about the incident. Guban answered in the affirmative. '[He was involved] in the administrative matters because he is the district collector of the MCIP. Therefore alam po niya kung ano at anong meron sa loob ng port niya,' Guban said. (He was involved in the administrative matters because he is the district collector of the MCIP. Therefore, he knows what is inside his port and what's going on there.) Guban said he was accused by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). When asked, the representative of PDEA said he stood by the filing of the case. For their part, BOC Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy said he will look into Guban's claim. 'I will find out what I just heard… and I will find out the status of these personnel,' he said. Meanwhile, according to Guban, several individuals have admitted to owning the shipment during a previous Senate inquiry. However, he said these people have gone missing. 'After na mag-testify sila na umamin na sila ang may-ari ng consignee, ng importation, tinuro nila ang certain Chinese,' Guban said. (After they testified and admitted that they were the owners of the consignee and the importation, they pointed to certain Chinese individuals.) 'There was no testimony against me. In fact, there was never—wala pong admission kahit konti na kasama po kami doon. Kaming tatlo ni Colonel Acierto, Colonel Fajardo. Kami ay sa government side, kami ang nagtrabaho,' he added. The PDEA representative said the missing individuals have a standing warrant of arrest but they remain at large. For his part, Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Adiong expressed alarm, saying the case should be monitored. 'Dahil yung umamin ng pagmama-may ari ng shabu shipment na ito ay biglang nawala at hindi na nahuli. Samantalang 'yung nag trabaho para makuha itong tonelada nitong shabu na ito ay sila ang nakakulong. If you ask me, it's a simple example of miscarriage of justice,' Adiong said. (Because the person who admitted ownership of the shabu shipment suddenly disappeared and was never apprehended. Meanwhile, those who worked to seize these tons of shabu are the ones imprisoned. If you ask me, it's a simple example of miscarriage of justice.) — BM, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store