'Drug courier' held at Kalinga checkpoint

Tabuk City, Kalinga - A 28-year-old alleged drug courier was held at a checkpoint here while she was transporting  more than half a million worth of dried marijuana leaves, police and anti-narcotics operatives said.

At least P550,000 worth of dried marijuana leaves, already  in brick form, were supposed to be shipped out by Merlyn Dangsoy Guimba, a native of Tulgao West, Tinglayan town in Kalinga, via a Baguio-bound GL bus but was stopped at a checkpoint at the exit of Tabuk City in sitio Talaka, barangay Agbannawag 6 a.m. Thursday.

Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong said Guimba was almost successful in transporting 22 pieces of dried marijuana bricks weighing more or less 22 kilos, but a tipster gave information about the suspect.

Guimba is now facing criminal charges, Magalong  said.

Magalong has also  directed all police operating units in the regoin to  step up their anti-drug operations to cut the supply of illegal drugs being circulated and transported within  the region.