Millions worth of marijuana seized over three days

MANILA: Police recovered about 113 million pesos (RM8.9 million) worth of marijuana, seized in anti-narcotics operations, in a span of three days.

The operations by the Philippine National Police (PNP) were held in Lanao del Sur, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Rizal, Philstar.com reported.

” These intensified efforts against the cultivation of marijuana plants are proof that we are serious about eradicating this illegal business,” PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said.

Azurin said this after revealing an operation launched by the Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) in Maguing, Lanao del Sur on Monday.

There, about 160,000 marijuana plants worth P32 million were uprooted and destroyed.

PDEG director Brigadier General Narciso Domingo said the marijuana plantations were discovered in Barangays Pindulonan and Dilimbayan.

Brigadier General John Guyguyon, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police director, said armed men guarding the plantations escaped when personnel of the local police and the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade approached.

Members of the municipal peace and order councils in Maguing and nearby towns reported that the owner of the marijuana plantations has links with the Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group.

Meanwhile in Kalinga, police discovered 250,000 marijuana plants worth 50 million pesos during operations in Barangay Ngibat in Tinglayan on Sunday and Monday.

Police also confiscated marijuana plants worth 7 million pesos in Barangay Bugnay on Monday.

In Mountain Province, marijuana bricks with an estimated value of 7.7 million pesos were seized at a checkpoint in Sadanga town yesterday.

Police said the illegal drugs were found in a Toyota Vios pulled over at a checkpoint in Sitio Ampawilen in Barangay Poblacion.

Also, in Taytay, Rizal, 53 kilos of marijuana worth 6.36 million pesos were seized on Monday night. An armed man was arrested.

NST