P2M hashish from Mt Prov seized in Quezon City bus terminal

P8.2 marijuana destroyed in Kalinga  

BONTOC, Mountain Province – More than P2 million worth of high-grade marijuana resin or hashish from this province was seized by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel at a bus terminal in Quezon City Tuesday.

An estimated 750 grams of hashish was hidden in an old television set sent through the Coda Lines Corp. from Mountain Province, PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said.

Hashish, which is more potent than marijuana leaves, sells for P2,800 a gram compared to dried Kush marijuana leaves, which sell for P1,500 per gram.

The package was addressed to Apollo Arnaiz but was not picked up at the bus terminal for two days, prompting officials to call police.

Aquino said syndicates are using public utility vehicles to transport illegal drugs from the provinces.

He said they want stricter regulation of package deliveries.

This, as P8.72 worth of marijuana was eradicated in a plantation in Tinglayan, Kalinga last week.

The town is around an hour’s ride from the capital town of Bontoc, Mountain Province. 

Joint military and anti-narcotic authorities seized big plantations of illegal marijuana plants in the mountains here.

The marijuana plantations were raided, uprooted and burned down by the Joint elements of 50th Infantry Battalion (50IB) and 503rd Brigade (503Bde) both of the Joint Task Force (JTF) “TALA” under the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) from Region 1 (Ilocos Region), Region 2 (Cagayan Region), Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), and the Kalinga Provincial Police Office (KPPO), according to Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, AFP Nolcom spokesperson.

He said the move was in line with the conduct of joint operations on marijuana eradication in identified target areas, with help and cooperation of the local governments.

Nato said several sites of marijuana plantations were destroyed — one  at Barangay Loccong, and another 17 separate sites at Barangay Buscalan.

Said plantation sites were estimated to have about 7,300 square meters in land area, resulting to the eradication of 37,650 fully grown marijuana plants and seizure of 10 kilograms of dried marijuana stalks.

Overall, the joint operation resulted in destruction of the illegal items estimated to have a total value of P8,722,000.