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Philippines police recover nearly $1.8M worth of cocaine as more drugs wash ashore

By Paulina Dedaj Fox News
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Over $1.8 million worth of cocaine washed up on the Philippines coast Sunday in what is now a series of similar discoveries this year.

The Mauban Municipal Police recovered seven bricks of cocaine on the coast of Barangay Cagsiay in Quezon that authorities estimated to have a street value of over $1.8 million.

According to the BBC, a family picnicking in the area noticed the floating objects in the water and collected them. After suspecting that it was likely narcotics in the packaging, the family contacted police.

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While the contents are still being tested by authorities, police identified the substance as cocaine in a Facebook post.

The Mauban Municipal Police recovered seven bricks of cocaine on the coast of Barangay Cagsiay in Quezon that authorities estimated to have a street value of over $1.8 million USD.

The Mauban Municipal Police recovered seven bricks of cocaine on the coast of Barangay Cagsiay in Quezon that authorities estimated to have a street value of over $1.8 million USD. (Mauban Municipal Police Facebook)

Sunday’s discovery is the latest in a string of mysterious drug packages that have washed up on beaches in the Philippines this year.

In May, the Philippines National Police recovered 40 blocks of cocaine in 12 boxes that were found floating in waters near Gubat, Sorsogon by fishermen who immediately turned over the drugs to local police, the national news agency reported at the time.

That haul was worth an estimated $4.2 million USD.

Police present 40 cocaine blocks with a street value of $4.2 million USD during a press conference at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. 

Police present 40 cocaine blocks with a street value of $4.2 million USD during a press conference at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City on Tuesday, May 28, 2019.  (Police Regional Office 5)

A similar discovery over 40 bricks of cocaine was discovered in April in the waters off Burgos, Surigao del Norte and prior to that, more bricks were found in February.

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Stray packages containing the narcotics have washed ashore since but authorities have yet to say what the source of the drugs might be.

A fellow at the Drug Policy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, Sanho Tree, told the BBC the drugs may have come from cargo ships trying to abandon the illegal substances before being caught.