More Shabu packs worth P104.7M spotted in Cagayan Waters. PNP’s Project: Spies keeping sea borders under tight watch.
Spotted by local fishers while out at sea, more packs of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, with a street price of ₱104,720,000.00, continue to find their way to the waters of Cagayan Province.
On June 16, 2025, a sack containing 15 plastic packs of suspected shabu, weighing roughly 15 kilograms worth ₱102,000,000.00, was fished out between the territorial waters of Babuyan Island and Gonzaga, Cagayan. A day later, a 400-gram floating shabu package valued at ₱2,720,000.00, was also found off the sea waters connecting Camiguin Island and Cape Engaño, Barangay San Vicente, Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
The shabu finds were immediately surrendered by two Cagayan fisherfolks to combined elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office II (PDEA RO 2) and local units of the Police Regional Office 2 (PRO 2).
“The honest acts of fishermen, the prompt response and proper turnover of the floating contraband to authorities, and the steady sea surveillance and patrolling are all part of a holistic approach to curb the flow of illegal drugs in the coastal areas of Cagayan Province. We do not want these dangerous substances to fall into the clutches of the wrong people”, said PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez.
Taking a pivotal role in protecting the diverse coastlines of Cagayan Province from drug trafficking activities is Project: “Strengthening Port Interdiction to Enhance Security”, or SPIES — a security initiative of Cagayan Police Provincial Office of the PNP Police Regional Office 2 under the leadership of Regional Director PBGen. Antonio Marallag Jr.
“We cannot simply overlook the value of the contribution of Project: SPIES and its implementing police officers in combating drug smuggling in the province of Cagayan. In tandem with PDEA, they have provided much heightened vigilance and increased law enforcement efforts on the lookout for the remaining floating contraband along Cagayan’s coastal areas”, Director General Nerez stressed.
The PDEA Chief noted that all recovery incidents so far happened within the waters of the provinces in Luzon. “An in-depth investigation is currently underway to determine the place of origin of the recovered shabu that were offloaded at sea for pick-up of intended recipients. Strong currents may have brought them to the site where they were found”, he said.
The same day, a kilogram of shabu worth ₱6,800,000.00 found by a concerned citizen washed in the shoreline of Barangay Pasaleng, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, was also turned in to local authorities.
PDEA encourages the participation of the citizenry in reporting illegal drug activities. “We are appealing to the public, if and when you stumble upon any of the floating contraband, do not hesitate to report it to the authorities. Doing so will help shield our communities from the sinister ways of illegal drugs”, Undersecretary Nerez urged. ###
