Two marijuana plantations filled with around 40,000 fully grown plants and 40 kilos of dried leaves with stalks, were destroyed at the boundary of Sugpon town in Ilocos Sur and Kibungan town in Benguet on Tuesday (July 21).
The destroyed plants have a combined estimated value of P12.8 million, the Ilocos regional police said.
The marijuana plants were immediately destroyed in accordance with existing operational procedures, while follow-up investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible for operating the illegal plantations.
The marijuana eradication operation was conducted by the Ilocos Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit and other law enforcement agencies.
The different police units in the region also conducted 71 anti-narcotics operations from July 15 to 21, resulting in the arrest of 78 drug suspects and the seizure of suspected illegal drugs with a total Standard Drug Price (SDP) of P14,586,218.80.
The biggest ‘catch’ was in Cabugao town at Ilocos Sur, where a high value suspect from the town was arrested, with the authorities seizing from him about 55 grams of suspected shabu contained in four heat-sealed plastic sachets, with an estimated Standard Drug Price of P374,000. INQ