Another Block of Cocaine Was Found Floating in Philippine Waters. The Town Mayor Thinks it’s From China

In yet another bizarre drug find, fishermen in the Philippine town of Mohammad Ajul in Basilan province just spotted a 1-kg. block of suspected cocaine worth an estimated PHP6 million (US$114,862) floating in the waters between the villages of Langil and Linungan.

The fishermen discovered the suspected drugs early yesterday morning, immediately reported the incident to authorities, and surrendered them to the police, according to The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Authorities are still investigating where the narcotics came from but Mohammad Ajul Mayor Ibrahim Ballaho has a theory: it must have come from fishing vessels from China that regularly pass through the area. However, he has not presented any facts that support this.

Multiple cases of cocaine bricks floating in Philippine waters or washing up on the country’s shores have caused authorities to scratch their heads throughout the year. These sightings have become common in provinces, especially those near the eastern seaboard.

In May, 39 suspected cocaine bricks with an estimated value of more than PHP218 million (US$4 million) were found by fishermen when they were out fishing in the waters of Sorsogon province. In July, seven suspected cocaine bricks were found floating near a beach in Quezon province.

In a span of a week in February, cocaine bricks with an estimated value of PHP472 million(US$9 million) were found along the shores of four provinces, namely Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Camarines Norte, and Quezon.

The Philippine government still has not determined where these drugs are coming from. In July, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the packages could have been bound for Australia, where there's a strong demand for cocaine.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has also said that the Medellin cartel in Colombia and the Sinaloa drug in Mexico could be behind them.

“What is difficult is the Philippines has the longest shoreline because it has multiple islands,” Duterte added, explaining that it is difficult to catch drug smugglers because of the country’s many islands.

Following the discovery of these floating cocaine bricks, the Philippine Coast Guard said in July that it would focus on monitoring and patrolling the country's eastern seaboard.

For his part, Ballaho, the mayor of Mohammad Ajul has offered a PHP10,000 (US$192) reward for every cocaine brick turned over to authorities. He hopes that this would encourage townsfolk to report cocaine drop-offs near their shores and prevent the entry of illegal drugs through their town.

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