LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Police Provincial Office (PPO) seized and des-troyed P84.09 million worth of illegal drugs from January to November this year.
BPPO Provincial Director, Col. Elmer Ragay, on Wednesday said despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Benguet PPO continues to show dedication to the campaign against illegal drugs, whether on the streets or in the mountains.
Ragay said the BPPO destroyed 243,501 fully grown marijuana plants; 78,085 marijuana seedlings; 153 kilograms of dried marijuana stalks; 14.85 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves; five kilos marijuana seeds; 465.94 grams suspected shabu; 2.2018 kilograms marijuana fruit toppings and 34 kilograms marijuana bricks.
The confiscated illegal drugs were a result of the 73 buy-busts, 50 marijuana eradication operations, eight services of search warrants, nine services of warrants of arrest, two checkpoint operations, and 10 police response from calls coming from the community.
Ragay said this year has been “extraordinary, and unpredictable, but in its truest sense, has brought out in all of us the best owing to a true test of resiliency. It was full of trials and challenges, but was nonetheless accompanied by bountiful accomplishments and accolades.”
He also said as part of the anti-criminality campaign of the Philippine National Police, their personnel also arrested 82 top most wanted persons (TMWP) with one listed at the national level, three at the regional level, 38 at the province level, and 40 in the municipal level.
There were also 186 wanted persons arrested in operations and 273 on warrantless arrests as a result of response to the commission of crimes.
It also seized 103 loose and unregistered firearms with 93 of them surrendered by the owners for safekeeping pending the processing of the permit to possess a gun.
Ragay said the campaign of the PNP to recover loose and unregistered firearms is to assure the safety of the public from the commission of crimes with the use of unlicensed guns.
On its counter-insurgency campaign, the BPPO convinced 18 members of the New People’s Army to surrender.
Ragay said the accomplishments were a result of a strong police-community partnership in the fight against criminality to assure the safety, peace, and progressive lives of the people in the province. – PNA
