AT least 80 tightly-sealed plastic packs containing an estimated P543-million worth of shabu were found floating in the waters of Ilocos Sur this week, triggering a joint Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine National Police investigation into the discovery of the contraband.

A black sack with 19 transparent plastic packets each containing a kilo of the suspected drugs were found by two fishermen in the waters of Sitio Nagpartian, Bgy. Puro in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur around 6 a.m. Thursday, said a report from the PDEA headed by Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo.

Police Regional Office 1 director Brig. Gen. Lou F. Evangelista said they have joined the PDEA in investigating the source of the “floating shabu” even as he thanked the fishermen who immediately reported their discovery to authorities.

“We encourage everyone, especially those living along coastlines, to report any similar findings to their nearest police stations immediately,” said the official.

A 20th plastic packet with the same substance was also recovered on the same day in the waters of Magsingal.

Another 24 packs containing the same substance were also found by fishermen in the waters of Bgy. Solotsot in San Juan municipality last Monday.

The two fishermen were on their way home on board their motorized banca when they spotted a floating plastic container attached to a round wood.

When they plucked and inspected the container out of the water, they found out that it contained the plastic sack with the suspected drugs.

The contraband was worth at least P162.7 million.

Some 18 more packs were recovered by another fisherman in the waters of Bgy. Villamar in Caoayan municipality last Wednesday morning.

The same number of plastic packets with drugs were also found floating in the waters of Sta. Maria municipality.

The recovered contrabands bore “Chinese markings.”

Members of the Ilocos Sur Police and PDEA Provincial Offices, the PNP Maritime Command, and the Philippine Coast Guard helped in the conduct of the inventory of the recovered contraband.

Evangelista has ordered all concerned chiefs of police in Ilocos Sur, as well as the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union, to continue seeking the help of of local fishermen and village leaders in coastal communities in recovering similar contrabands that could have been washed away in their shorelines or floating in the high seas.

“We’re widening our search to as far as the waters of Pangasinan and La Union amid the possibility that more drugs could have been carried away by strong current to their areas,” he said.

Evangelista said they are initially looking into the possibility that a “mother ship” smuggled the drugs and dropped them in a designated point, where they will be picked up by much smaller boats.

“The sea condition in our area has been fine since the week started although there were some scattered rains. Thus, it is very possible that the people who will picked the contraband failed to reach them on time until the drugs were carried by the strong current to the north direction,” said the Ilocos-Pangasinan police director.