Cooking set shipped from California turns out to be ‘pot’; consignee nabbed

Marijuana oil and dried leaves seized from Jude Paolo Javier (seated left) after claiming on Wednesday in Kidapawan City the package shipped from California. (Photo from PDEA-12)

KIDAPAWAN CITY—A package purportedly containing a cooking set turned out to be a consignment of marijuana shipped from California for a worker of the health office in this city.

Naravy Duquiatan, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 12, said anti-narcotics agents arrested on Wednesday consignee Jude Paolo Javier, 25, who was arrested upon claiming the parcel at the post office.

Javier, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, is a contractual employee of the local government, assigned at the City Health Office.

The package came from Folsom, California, and contained 927 grams of dried marijuana leaves and 21 vape cartridges with marijuana oil.

The PDEA estimated the loot to be worth P1.3 million.

A day earlier, anti-narcotics agents arrested for possession of meth, firearms, and bomb-making materials Mohar Talimbo, 34, security officer of M’lang District Hospital, and his father Jimmy Talimbo, 62, a farmer. Both are from Barangay Dungguan in Mlang, Cotabato.

Duquiatan said seized from them were seven sachets of meth worth P81,000, an M16 rifle, a Bushmaster rifle with ammunition, and components for making an improvised bomb.

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