Ilocos police, PDEA find, burn P2.4-M marijuana

By Erwin Beleo

CAMP FLORENDO, La Union – Ilocos Norte police teamed up with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in seizing P2.4-million worth of marijuana plants in the tri-boundaries of Sugpon, Ilocos Sur and Kibungan, Benguet.
    Police Regional Office 1 Director Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Santos Azurin, Jr. reported that joint operatives of PRO-1 and PDEA in Region 1 confiscated 8,100 fully grown marijuana plants and 10,000 seedlings in three plantations in raids conducted on Oct. 26.
    During the operations, plantations sites were raided in Barangay Licungan, Sugpon, Ilocos Sur; and Sitio Cullang, Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan, Benguet, which 5,600 fully grown marijuana plants with an estimated value of P1.120 million.
    Other operations in Sitio Salicocong, Barangay Licungan, Sugpon, Ilocos Sur; and Sitio Cullang, Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan, Benguet, resulted in the confiscation of about 2,500 fully grown marijuana, estimated at P500,000.
    The third site was in Sitio Nagawa, Barangay Caoayan, Sugpon, Ilocos Sur, and Sitio Cullang, Brgy. Tacadang, Kibungan, Benguet, where the authorities found about 10,000 marijuana seedlings valued at P800,000.
    Azurin said  no caretaker of these plantations was arrested during the operation, but the police was already conducting follow-up investigations.
    Authorities immediately uprooted the illegal plants and burned them in the area, leaving only a few samples collected by the agents for forensic laboratory analysis.