Team of cops, soldiers, PDEA men raids South Cotabato marijuana plantation
KORONADAL CITY—Authorities raided a marijuana plantation in Tampakan town, South Cotabato province early on Thursday (Jan. 14), a top police official said. Col. Jemuel Siason, South Cotabato police director, said the raiding team uprooted at least 13,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated P2.6 million. The team composed of the police, military and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency raided the marijuana plantation at the village of Danlag in Tampakan, Siason said. Siason identified the alleged cultivator of the marijuana plantation as Jimben Sinaya, who managed to elude the raiding team. The team took with it some marijuana plants that will be used as evidence to file a case for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the official said. This was not the first time that authorities raided a marijuana plantation in Tampakan town. In October 2019, authorities uprooted some 38,500 mature marijuana plants with an estimated street value of P7.7 million.