LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – More than P50 million worth of marijuana were uprooted and burned in the recent operations by various law enforcement agencies in Benguet in the past two weeks.
On February 15 to 17, operating personnel composed of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (RAIDSOTG), Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB), Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO), Bakun Municipal Police Station (MPS), and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-CAR) conducted operations in at least 33 marijuana plantation sites with a total land area of 12,667 square meters in Sitios Naba, Kaang, Gusadan, Nagawa, Dakap, Bulisay, Agayay, Kaday and Pagungan of Barangay Kayapa, Bakun, Benguet.
The operatives uprooted and burned on site 75, 750 fully grown marijuana plants, 16,750 Marijuana seedlings, and 65,000 of dried marijuana stalks with a total Dangerous Drug Board value (DDB) of Php 25,579,000.00.
Earlier on February 11 to 12, the operating personnel composed of the RAIDSOTG, Bakun MPS, Kibungan MPS, PDEA-CAR and Army Reserved Command (ARESCOM) conducted operations in 10 sites of marijuana plantation with a total land area of 8, 250 square meters in Sitio Bekes of Barangay Takadang, Kibungan in Benguet.
The joint operatives uprooted and destroyed on site 53,900 fully grown marijuana plants, 110,000 grams of dried marijuana stalks, 20,000 grams of dried marijuana leaves and 3,000 grams of marijuana seeds with a total Dangerous Drug Board value of Php27, 005,000.00.
Police Cordillera Regional Office Acting Regional Director PCSupt. Ulysses Abellera commended the operatives for the successful operations, as he stressed that this is just a start of the intensive anti-drug campaign and operations that the PRO-Cor will do.
“A more forceful, intensive and unrelenting campaign against the cultivation and use of illegal drugs will be implemented region wide” he said.
Abellera also appreciated the support of the community to eliminate all forms of drugs in the region. With the support of the community, the PNP’s campaign against all form of illegal drugs will continue to gain success, he said./JDP/RMC & Jillie Ominga-PIA/UC Intern
