Authorities Seize ₱133 Million Worth of Suspected Cocaine in Palawan Coastal Area

Authorities recovered an estimated ₱133 million worth of suspected cocaine along a secluded shoreline in Linapacan, Palawan, on November 18. The discovery came after a local resident alerted police to suspicious packages at Sitio Calelenday in Barangay Maroyog-royog.

Responding officers from the municipal police station, the provincial drug enforcement unit, and intelligence teams arrived at approximately 6 p.m., where they found multiple taped boxes labeled "stone" scattered along the coast. Inside these containers were roughly 25.21 kilograms of suspected cocaine.

The seized contraband has since been handed over to the Palawan Provincial Forensic Unit and will be forwarded to the regional office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for further analysis and case processing.

Police officials highlighted the critical role of community awareness in preventing remote coastal zones from being exploited as drop-off points for criminal organizations. They stressed that these isolated beaches and islands remain vulnerable due to limited surveillance.

"It is imperative that communities stay vigilant, as syndicates often target hard-to-monitor coastal areas for illegal deliveries," authorities remarked. In response, law enforcement agencies are intensifying both land and maritime patrols to curb attempts by drug traffickers to use these remote locations.

This significant confiscation underscores the ongoing challenges faced in securing Palawan’s expansive and sparsely monitored coastlines against illicit activities.