Police seize, burn P848,000 worth of marijuana leaves, seeds in Benguet town

Officers from the Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Benguet Police Provincial Office destroy and burn marijuana plants seized from two farms in Kibugan town. (Photo from PNP-PIO)

MANILA, Philippines — Marijuana leaves, seeds, and stalks from two plantations in Kibugan town in Benguet province valued at P848,000 have been confiscated and scorched by police.

A report from the Philippine National Police-Public Information Office (PNP-PIO) on Thursday disclosed that the Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Benguet Police Provincial Office was able to seize 880 fully-grown marijuana plants, 1,600 marijuana seedlings, and four kilograms of marijuana stalks during an operation on Wednesday.

The two clandestine marijuana farms were found in Sitio Lanipew, Tacadang in Kibugan municipality, it added.

PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said that no suspect or cultivator was arrested. But he assured the public that follow-up operations are being conducted.

“There were no cultivators present during the successive operations. But authorities are set to do a follow-up investigation regarding this. I am positive that the operation served as a warning to those [involved] in this line of illegal business,” he said.

A similar operation was conducted by the PNP recently in nearby Kalinga province, specifically in Tinglayan town.

During the June 16 operation, officers from the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the Cordillera Administrative Region, and local police destroyed P27 million worth of marijuana plants in four separate plantations. — with reports from Nicole Faye Agcaoili, trainee

KGA/abc