More than 500 million pesos worth of marijuana plants and products were seized and three plantation staff were arrested by authorities during a recent anti-narcotics operation in Kalinga and Benguet, the head of the PNP, General Dionardo Carlos.
Citing a report from the Cordillera Administrative Region Police Director, Brig. General Ronald Oliver Lee last Saturday, Carlos said the seizure was made during the last 10 days of mounted operations under Oplan Herodotus 2.
Anti-drug operations were carried out jointly by personnel from the PNP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, NBI, AFP and Philippine Coast Guard in the mountainous areas of Kalinga and Benguet.
Carlos said 70 marijuana plantations were raided during the period, resulting in the seizure and subsequent destruction of marijuana plants and products with a market value of 427.94 million pesos in Kalinga and 59.39 million pesos in Benguet.
Three men were arrested, two of them identified as Langao and Peter, both surnamed Bagtang, aged 22 and 70 respectively. Police have not identified the third suspect, a 17-year-old man.
In the town of Lubuagan in Kalinga, police arrested suspected drug traffickers Aldren Paul Cabanes Pacion, 27, and Jaymor Sacatani Eusebio, 31, at a checkpoint for possession of bricks of marijuana worth $13 .56 million pesos.
Two other suspected drug traffickers, Limuel Legaspi Alarde, 21, and Ralf King Gaffud Prado, 18, were also arrested at another checkpoint in Tabuk City, also in Kalinga. The two produced 1.21 million pesos worth of bricks of marijuana.
