PNP, PDEA-7 boost intelligence monitoring following cocaine discovery
CEBU CITY – Intelligence monitoring has been tightened in Central Visayas following the recent discovery of bricks of cocaine worth P106 million in Eastern Visayas.
The Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7) are checking if shipments of cocaine have already been smuggled into the region following the discovery of the illegal drugs.
The bricks of cocaine weighing 25 kilos were found by a fisherman floating in the waters of Eastern Samar.

ABERIN (FB)
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7 chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said that upon receiving the report, intelligence officers were immediately alerted to check the possibility if a shipment of cocaine had entered Central Visayas.
Pelare said that while the PRO-7 has yet to receive a report of cocaine smuggling in the region, intelligence monitoring is being intensified.
“We are not taking any chances,” said Pelare.
The PDEA-7 is conducting its own monitoring.
Jonar Cuayzon, chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Section of PDEA-7, said the possibility that cocaine had been smuggled into Region 7 is not remote since Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas are neighboring regions.
Cuayzon said that packages of contraband dropped into the sea and picked up later is called shipside smuggling.
“The contraband will no longer reach the port. It will be dropped into the ocean. They will use GPS (global positioning system) to track it down. It so happens that the fisherman accidentally stumbled on it,” said Cuayzon.
Cuayzon said authorities are still investigating where the bricks of cocaine were headed before it was discovered.
He said there is a strong strategic coordination between the PRO-7 and PDEA-7 regarding the issue.