Four persons are facing charges for transporting marijuana from the Cordillera to Ilocos Sur, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported on Aug. 12.
PDEA-Cordillera Director Gil Ceasario Castro identified the suspects as Christian Allen Vergara Habab, 24, of Catagayan; Aljon James Ambasing Bangayan, 30, of Poblacion Norte; and Mark Jamandre, all of Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur; and John Randolf Torres Cadavez of Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur.
Castro said the suspects were flagged down on Aug. 11 in a checkpoint set up by the PDEA and the Mountain Province Provincial Police Office at Sitio Dawaic, Otucan Norte in Bauko, Mountain Province.
He said they acted on information about two motorcycles that came from Kalinga and will pass Mountain Province towards Ilocos Sur via the Bessang Pass with the passengers carrying marijuana.
Castro said their personnel, together with the local police, immediately set up the checkpoint to ensure the targets will not pass the region’s boundary with the contraband.
The motorcycles were intercepted around 11 p.m. on Aug. 11. Discovered at the compartment of the motorcycles were 18 marijuana bricks and nine marijuana tubular packs.
Based on the inventory, Castro said the confiscated items weighed 21.697 kilograms worth P2,603,640.
He said the suspects are facing charges for violation of Republic 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs law of 2002, specifically the provision on the illegal transport of prohibited drugs. – PNA
April 30, 2024
