Authorities destroy P10.8-M worth of cannabis in Benguet towns

BAGUIO CITY —  Authorities on Saturday overran a total of P10,812,000 worth of marijuana in Kibungan and Mankayan towns in Benguet.

Operatives from the Kibungan town police, intelligence divisions of the Benguet police office and Cordillera regional police office and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera Administrive Region discovered at least 90 kilograms of dried marijuana stalks with fruiting tops at a communal forest in sitio Ginawang, Barangay Poblacion.

The cannabis valued at P10,800,000 were piled and concealed under a rock shade covered with plastic canvas.

In Mankayan, town policemen, nearby Buguias town policemen and commandos from the 1st Benguet Provincial Mobile Force Company, intelligence and narcotics operatives from the Benguet police and Cordillera regional police office and the 1502nd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 swooped into a marijuana plantation in Sitio Dowag, Barangay Guinaoang. They discovered 60 pieces of fully grown marijuana plants valued at P12,000.

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. David Peredo said that all the discovered marijuana were documented and burned onsite. He said samples will be submitted to the Regional Forensic Unit-Cordillera for qualitative testing.

The police director added that Benguet police will actively pursue investigations to identify additional marijuana plantation sites and apprehend those responsible for cultivation of the plants.