Police locate, raid marijuana farm in Batangas

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines—Police raided a farm in Buso-buso village in Laurel town in Batangas and seized 47 fully grown marijuana plants, authorities said.

At least 100 other smaller marijuana plants were burned after they were uprooted, said Senior Insp. Apolinario Lunar Jr., chief of the Laurel police.

He said municipal and provincial policemen conducted the raid in Sitio Duhat at around 4 p.m. on Monday.

The seized marijuana plants were found on a 200-square meter land, part of a 500-square meter piece of property owned by an unidentified person who had already died, said PO3 Michael Onate.

The plants were sent to the police crime laboratory, said Onate.

He said the land’s caretaker, identified as Simeon Cabillo, eluded arrest.

Cabillo was a resident of Barangay Banyaga in Agoncillo town.

Lunar said one marijuana plant, whose leaves had already been dried, could be sold by as much as P3,000 while the street value of the plant is P50-P100 per tea bag.

It was the first such raid conducted in the village and in Laurel town, he added.

Police filed charges of violation of Republic Act No. 9165 (Cultivation and Culture of plants Classified as Dangerous Drugs) against Cabillo.