PNP to beef up coastal patrols after drug haul in WPS
Philippine News Agency
By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
October 22, 2025, 2:42 pm
MANILA -- Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez on Wednesday said the PNP will be beefing up its patrols in coastal areas to prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs into Philippine waters following the recovery of a floating bag containing suspected illegal drugs in the West Philippine Sea.
In line with this, Nartatez directed the PNP Maritime Group and Police Regional Offices to heighten community patrols, particularly in coastal areas, to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
"I have instructed our police units to intensify patrols in coastal areas to prevent these drug shipments, since this is not the first time authorities have seized illegal drugs in our waters," he added.
The directive came after the Philippine Navy, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the PNP, recovered a floating black duffel bag containing suspected illegal drugs near Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday.
Initial reports revealed that the bag contained 32 clear and black plastic packs with approximately 16 kilograms of suspected high-grade marijuana (kush), valued at around PHP19.2 million.
Nartatez underscored the importance of close coordination between the PNP and PDEA to determine the source and possible links among recent drug hauls. (PNA)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
