The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) bared on Wednesday that the cocaine being sold in Metro Manila in sachets are mostly made up of baking powder costing around P500.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) bared on Wednesday that the cocaine being sold in Metro Manila in sachets are mostly made up of baking powder costing around P500.

The revelation came a day after a suspected drug pusher posing as balut vendor was arrested while in possession of P10 million worth of cocaine.

PDEA Intelligence and Investigation Service (IIS) Director Lyndon Aspacio said the agency was able to discover the cocaine mixed with baking powder during an operation last month in Metro Manila.

“The contents were found to be mostly made up of baking powder while only 4.6 percent was cocaine,” Aspacio told Manila Bulletin.

He explained that the cocaine distributors have been using baking powder as “extenders” in their supply.

Aspacio said that the sachets were being sold at around P500 each to clientele mostly made up of the upper class.

The PDEA official also noted that some shabu and marijuana pushers are now also trying to sell cocaine.

However, Aspacio said shabu and marijuana remain the favorite of most Filipinos.

He believes that the cocaine being sold in Metro Manila is still part of the two tons of cocaine cargo that was dumped by a Chinese vessel off the coast of Samar December last year.

Some of the cocaine were even recovered by fishermen but turned over to authorities.

However, a large part of the cocaine cargo remain unaccounted for and were believed recovered by individuals who are trying to make a profit for the haul in the illegal drugs trade.

Arrested in Quezon City was Noel Montes, 44, of Barangay Matutom, District 2, Quezon City.

PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago said that Montes was arrested by agents during a buy-bust operation conducted at past midnight in the vicinity of NS Amoranto Avenue corner Mayon Street, La Loma. He had posed as balut vendor.