P36M plants destroyed in plantations: Ilocos town ‘marijuana capital of the Philippines’

By MydsSupnad

SUGPON , Ilocos Sur- Despite series of operations conducted by lawmen against marijuana plants in this remote town that resulted to the uprooting of marijuana in huge plantations and apprehension of suspected cultivators and pushers, planting of the illegal plant  appears  far from over.

This had prompted newsmen to dub the town and its neighboring areas “Marijuana capital” of the Philippines.

A few days ago, the Police Regional Office 1 and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 1 ) again located and destroyed marijuana plantations worth  P36.7 here in Barangay Licungan.

Chief Supt. Ricardo C. Marquez, regional police director of PRO1 said, operatives from Regional Intelligence Division of , Regional Public Safety Battalion, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 1 (PDEA1) and Sugpon police destroyed 185,000 fully grown marijuana plants, 5,000 seedlings and an estimated 400 grams seeds planted in 14 scattered plantation sites with an estimated land area of 48,000 square meters.

“Based on the standard value set by the Dangerous Drug Board, the uprooted MJ plants and destroyed seedlings had an estimated value of P36.7 million,”  Marquez said.

Supt. Jonathan Cabal, RID deputy chief and team leader said marijuana plantations were located mostly in mountainous parts of Barangay Licungan and some of the marijuana plants were inter-cropped with vegetables, corn and ginger to prevent detection.

The uprooted plants were burned at plantation sites in the presence of barangay officials and members of the media, while samples were brought to PRO1 for documentation.

Marquez said series of anti-illegal drugs operations will be conducted not only in the boundaries of La Union and Benguet but all over the region to reduce supply and demand of illegal drugs especially marijuana.

Last month, P5 million worth of marijuana plants were destroyed by Ilocos Sur police and Philippine Drug Enforcement operatives in the same barangay particularly in nine plantation sites at Mount Ibaoan, Mt. Agay, Mt Caang and Mt. Baeng all in Licungan of Sugpon town.