Philippine Army (PA) personnel recovered 43 sacks of suspected crystal meth, or shabu, worth P6.8 billion from an abandoned speedboat that ran aground along the coast of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro, on Wednesday, March 11.
Personnel from the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) and Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) of the 76th Infantry (Victrix) Battalion under the 203rd Infantry (Bantay Kapayapaan) Brigade responded after a resident reported a grounded twin-engine speedboat near Sitio Agbalite in Barangay Harrison on Tuesday afternoon, March 10.
Maj. Gen. Ramon Zagala, commander of the 2ID, said the report reached a nearby patrol base around 3 p.m. indicating that a speedboat had run aground near the shoreline.
A soldier and two CAFGU personnel from the nearby detachment were mobilized to verify the report.
Upon arrival, the troops saw the speedboat stuck near the coast, with villagers gathered around the area.
“When they searched the speedboat, that’s what they saw. When they got closer, there were 43 sacks—maybe about 2,200 kilos—that looked like a crystalline substance,” Zagala said.
The troops also recovered one Starlink communication device, eight hand flares (bengala), three fire extinguishers, four batteries, two life jackets, and two lifebuoys from the vessel.
Zagala added that two foreign-looking men were seen near the boat before fleeing when troops arrived.
“I think they were Chinese-looking, but that still has to be determined,” he noted.
He explained that rough sea conditions may have caused the boat to run aground.
Transporting the recovered sacks back to the mainland also took time because the area can only be reached by boat.
The military initially secured the items before coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The suspected drugs were later transported to Abra de Ilog for turnover to authorities.
From there, the sacks will be brought to the headquarters of the 76th Infantry Battalion, where police investigators will take custody. (Martin Sadongdong)
