P25-M marijuana plants burned

CAMP ADDURU, Tuguegarao City - More than one million fully grown marijuana plants and seedlings with an estimated value of P25 million were burned last week in two remote mountain villages in Kalinga.

Chief Superintendent Thompson Lantion, Cagayan Valley police director, disclosed in a report that the marijuana plants were ready to be harvested when discovered in an 11-hectare plantation in Barangays Butbut and Buscalan in Tinglayan, Kalinga.

Combined elements of the Kalinga and Cagayan Valley police commands conducted the week-long operation which led to the discovery of the plantation.

However, the police failed to arrest the maintainers of the marijuana plantation, the report said.

Also confiscated during the raid were two 20-ton hydraulic jacks and several wooden blocks used to make marijuana bricks and process hashish bars.

The raid came a week after police seized 369 kilos of marijuana bricks worth some P1 million in three separate buy-bust operations in Enrile town and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan and in Tinglayan, Kalinga.

Arrested during the buy-bust operations were Josan Antonio, Amang Palicao, Unggaw Maccad and Vilma Antonio, all from Tinglayan town.