A total of P30.6 million marijuana and shabu leading to the arrest of four suspects were seized by authorities in various operations in the Cordillera recently.
In Baguio City, four first-time offenders were arrested for peddling P2.4 million worth marijuana during a buy-bust operation in Pinsao Proper on Jan. 31.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera named the suspects Chou Darwin Tauli Corpuz, Jim Ayawan, and Kari del Mundo Gile who are all from Quezon Hill, Baguio City; and Pedrito Tamocag Ayawan of Kibungan, Benguet.
The suspects were under surveillance for some time prior to the operation. Undercover agents reportedly transacted with Corpuz who sold them 19 pieces of dried marijuana leaves in tubular form.
The illegal drug has a weight of 20 kilograms with a standard drug price of P2,412,000.
Also seized from the suspect were P6,000 boodle money, four sacks where the marijuana was placed along with vegetables, one brown paper bag, among other pieces of evidence.
PDEA-CAR Information Officer Rosel Sarmiento said the recent operation is the biggest buy-bust haul in the start of the year.
In Kalinga, the police recovered a total of P28M worth of illegal drugs in an abandoned vehicle in Barangay Dupag, Tabuk City on Feb. 6.
The operatives acted on a tip from a concerned citizen regarding a vehicle transporting illegal drugs from Tinglayan to Tabuk City.
They then found the abandoned vehicle along with 205 pieces of dried marijuana bricks weighing 205 kilos, 45 pieces of dried marijuana leaves in tubes weighing 22.5 kilos, 25 pieces of vacuum-sealed dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops weighing 6.2 kilos, and six grams of shabu.
Investigations are ongoing to identify the owner of the vehicle and other possible suspects.
On Feb. 7, the police also discovered and uprooted P256,000 worth of marijuana plants in Kibungan, Benguet planted in two marijuana planting sites at sitio Naptong in Badeo. No cultivator was apprehended onsite.
In 2023, PDEA-CAR along with other law enforcement agencies conducted a total of 1,385 anti-drug operations. This resulted in the arrest of 355 drug personalities and seizure of P4.8 billion worth of illegal drugs. – Ofelia C. Empian
