(UPDATED) Instead of fish, P10 billion worth of suspected “shabu” was found on a fishing boat inspected by the Philippine Navy (PN) off the coast of Zambales before dawn on Friday, June 20.

PN spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said personnel of the Northern Luzon Naval Command (NLNC), in tandem with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), checked the vessel upon receiving a tip about the possible contents of the fishing boat around 1:30 a.m.

The authorities indeed found 1.5 tons of shabu onboard the boat about 50 to 60 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales.

“This is one of the largest illegal drug apprehensions in the history of the Philippine Navy in support of the National Government’s campaign against prohibited substances,” Alcos said.

According to Alcos, the seized illegal drugs were transported to the Naval Operating Base in Subic for documentation and turnover to the proper authorities.

Commodore Edward Ike De Sagon, commander of Northern Luzon Naval Command, said the boat was boarded by around four Filipino fishermen and a foreigner.

He said that based on the initial investigation, the drugs were transferred to the boat from a bigger ship, which could no longer be located.

“The drugs are aboard a fishing vessel. We still do not have the details of what kind of ship it was transported from. But it is currently with a Philippine fishing vessel that was, when we say intercepted, there were information that made us suspicious of the movement of that fishing vessel so we conducted that operation,” he told reporters at the PN headquarters in Manila.

He said the subject fishing vessel was operating far from other boats which alerted the Navy since it was a “highly unusual” behavior. He said fishing boats usually operate together.

The fishermen and the foreigner were subjected to interrogation to determine the source of the illegal drugs.

“Most probably because some of these fishing vessels don't know, sometimes they would be hired to transport items and because of the lure of big money, they would agree without knowing that they are already doing illegal things,” he explained, although admitting that such an angle is yet to be verified.

The discovery follows a series of recoveries of floating shabu in the West Philippine Sea since last month. 

This was tied to the international criminal syndicate “Sam Gor” which, according to the PDEA, is operating in various countries across the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.

On May 29, local fishermen found 223 vacuum-sealed transparent plastic packs of shabu with an estimated street value of P1,514,054,000 off Masinloc, Zambales. The drugs were turned over to the authorities on June 2.

Then, various shabu packs weighing 1,038 kilos and valued at P7,058,400,000 were also found washed ashore in the coastal areas of Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur from June 5 to 9. The drugs were also handed over to the authorities during 40 separate “turnover incidents” by the fishermen who discovered them.

Two fishermen and a concerned citizen also brought to authorities some P20.4 million worth of shabu found drifting in the shorelines of Currimao, Laoag City, and Paoay – all in Ilocos Norte – from June 12 to 13.

Local fishers also fished out 15.4 kilos of shabu sealed in plastic packs and valued at P2.72 million between the territorial waters of Babuyan Island and Gonzaga, Cagayan, and the sea waters connecting Camiguin Island and Cape Engaño in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, from June 16 to 17.