Over P9 million worth of marijuana seized, destroyed in Ilocos region

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — More than P9 million worth of marijuana plants and leaves were destroyed by authorities in separate operations across the Ilocos region between April 14 to 23, the police said on Saturday, May 6.

According to the Public Information Office of the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO-1), police uprooted and burned at least 36,955 fully grown marijuana plants in Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Sur.

At least 15,500 seedlings and 20,000 seeds were also destroyed in La Union, while 10 kilograms of marijuana leaves and 360 marijuana seedlings were burned in Ilocos Sur province.

PRO-1, together with counterpart law enforcement units, said that they discovered the plantation sites after they received tips from concerned citizens that illegal drugs were cultivated at the mountainous area of Tobuan village in Labrador, Pangasinan; Upper Bas-angan, Sapdaan, Santol town in La Union province; and Danac village in Sugpon, Ilocos Sur.

The drugs confiscated and destroyed had a total estimated value of P9.7 million, the police said.

The operations in La Union led to the arrests of two suspected cultivators.

Brigadier General John Chua, PRO-1 regional director, vowed to “eradicate illegal drugs and all other forms of lawlessness in the region through strengthened and relentless police operations.”

Chua thanked the public for their cooperation in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

“The more the people are involved in our campaign against illegal drugs, the better our chances of succeeding,” he said.

JOHN MICHAEL MUGAS INQ

READ: PNP, PDEA arrest weed cultivator in Cebu; P10.5-M worth of marijuana destroyed