Authorities arrested two farmers for selling P6.7 million worth of marijuana to undercover agents in a buy-bust operation in Camp 7, Baguio City on April 26.
The suspects were identified as Christopher Arnold Fabian Atonen and Daryl Camot Collera, both 27-year-old farmers and listed as high-value target individuals.
The suspects were arrested by joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Bulacan Provincial Office, PDEA-Cordillera, and Baguio City Police Office after they sold 57 pieces of marijuana stalks and fruiting tops in a tubular plastic form to a poseur buyer.
The illegal drugs have a weight of 56 kilograms estimated to be worth P6.7M.
The inventories of the pieces of evidence recovered were conducted on-site in the presence of the suspects and witnessed by Prosecutor Philip Cesar Castel and Camp 7 Kagawad Arvin Jay Baldo.
The suspects will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Meanwhile, the continuous marijuana eradication of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera led to the discovery of P3.4M worth fully grown marijuana plants and dried stalks in various towns in Benguet.
On April 26, the operations conducted in barangays Sagubo and Beleng in Kapangan and in Barangay Kayapa in Bakun, both in Benguet have led authorities to discover and burn a total of 3,300 pieces of fully-grown marijuana plants with a total worth of P660,000.
On April 24, simultaneous marijuana eradication operations in Sablan, Bakun, and Kibungan resulted in the discovery of 21,000 grams of dried marijuana stalks and 1,000 pieces of fully-grown marijuana plants worth P2,750,000.
All marijuana plants were uprooted and burned on-site while investigation is ongoing to identify the cultivators in these areas. – Ofelia C. Empian
