P4-M worth of marijuana destroyed

About P4-million worth of marijuana plants were uprooted and destroyed by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Ilocos Sur over the weekend.

PDEA reports reaching Camp Crame said that the marijuana plants were found in three plantations in a 1.5-hectare lot in Barangay Sawangan, Sugpon, Ilocos Sur last Friday.

Superintendent Antonio Valle, head of PDEA in Region 1, said some 20,000 fully-grown marijuana plants were burned. The PDEA agents failed capture the persons who maintained the plantations but they were identified as Pepito Alacatis, Elvis Gualdo, and others known as Dolo, Pey-peyen, Basilio, Melson and Ham, all residents of Sitio Nacneng, Barangay Caoyan in Sugpon town.

A case for violation of section 16 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were filed against the suspects. — Christina Mendez