International drug syndicate behind floating shabu
AUTHORITIES CONTINUE SEARCH AT SEA
PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) and Navy teams continue to comb the waters off Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, and Zambales to recover potentially more floating sacks of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, now confirmed to have been dropped by the international crime syndicate ‘Sam Gor’.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) announced last week that Sam Gor, also called The Company, is primarily responsible for the dumping of more than one ton of shabu, which were discovered by local fishermen drifting off the coastal areas of the three northern provinces.
Local fishermen have been hailed as unexpected heroes in the country’s intensifying war against illegal drugs after promptly surrendering massive quantities of floating shabu estimated to be worth more than P7 billion.
“Hindi natin papayagang maging daanan ng droga ang ating karagatan,” said First District Representative Arthur Celeste, whose jurisdiction includes the affected areas. “Saludo ako sa tapang at integridad ng ating mga mangingisda,” he added.
Governor Ramon Guico III also praised the swift and honorable response of local fishermen and authorities, describing the seizure as a “major victory” in the province’s anti-drug campaign.
PDEA said a total of 1,038 kilograms of suspected shabu have been retrieved in different parts of Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, and Zambales.
The seized contraband was concealed in Chinese-marked teabags, a badge of the Sam Gor drug cartel.
PDEA Deputy Director General Isagani Nerez said the group is also known for the use of maritime smuggling routes, dumping drugs into open waters to be retrieved later by local collaborators.
“It’s a good thing our hero fishermen got there first before the drugs fell into the wrong hands,” he said.
The recovery efforts in Pangasinan were made possible through joint operations of PDEA Region I, PCG District Northwestern Luzon, Philippine Navy, National Bureau of Investigation Region 1, and local units of the Philippine National Police.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate destruction of the recovered drugs to prevent any chance of re-entry into the community. (Eva Visperas/Leonardo Micua)
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