Cocaine believed to be from South America dug up in Samar

Some 17 packs of cocaine believed to be buried by a South American international drug syndicate were unearthed by the Presidential Anti Smuggling Group (PASG) in a mountainous area in Eastern Samar. Weighing 19.35 kilos, the P76-million cocaine batch was personally turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday by PASG head Antonio "Bebot" A. Villar Jr. The batch of cocaine was dug up on the midnight of June 5, 2010 by PASG operatives led by lawyer Lilibeth A. Llagas, SPO1 Tito Q. Macatugob, and Hilario Yalung following a tip from a fisherman, Villar said. The PASG team was assisted by the Philippine National Police-Mercedes Station, which helped transport the illegal substance to Tacloban City, and was later aided by the National Bureau of Investigation. The recovered cocaine was believed to have been part of two tons of cocaine dumped by an international syndicate in high seas off Samar Island. The 11 packs were dug in Barangay Hagnayan, Salcedo, while the other six packs were recovered in Barangay Minanod and Sitio Jaklagan, Barangay Buyayawon, all in Mercedes town, Eastern Samar . PDEA Director General Undersecretary Dionisio Santiago, who personally received the recovered cocaine, said the prohibited drugs were believed transported by South American drug ring. China Narcotics Central Commission took custody of the vessel used to transport the seized cocaine. - RJAB Jr/KBK, GMANews.TV