₱33M worth of dried marijuana seized, destroyed in Benguet

Over two hundred kilos of dried marijuana worth P33 million were recovered from four plantation sites in Kibungan, Benguet over the weekend and later destroyed, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

In a statement on Monday, the PNP said the destruction was carried out from 7 p.m. of February 13 to 4:30 p.m. of February 14.

Various police units and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) implemented the raid on four sites in the mountains of Kibungan.

They recovered 275 kilos of dried marijuana stalks and leaves with fruiting tops from the said sites worth P33 million.

The first site yielded 170 kilos of dried marijuana valued at P20.4 million, while the second site had 25 kilos of dried marijuana worth P3 million.

Meanwhile, the third site had 50 kilos of dried marijuana worth P6 million and the fourth site revealed 30 kilos of dried marijuana valued at P3.6 million.

The narcotics were then documented and burned onsite, with samples secured and submitted for qualitative examination.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the PNP will ramp up and dismantle more marijuana production areas in the Cordillera region.

“We will relentlessly pursue and destroy every source of illegal drugs that threatens our communities. Hindi kami titigil hangga’t may mga nagtatanim at nagtatago ng ilegal na droga sa ating mga kabundukan (We will not stop as long as there are those who plant and hide illegal drugs in our mountains),” Nartatez said.

“Those who profit from illegal drugs will face the full force of the law. Ang malinaw ang aming mensahe: walang ligtas sa batas kapag sangkot sa ilegal na droga (Our message is clear: those involved in illegal drugs cannot escape the law),” he added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News