The Ford pickup lies upside down after the accident. (Inset) The recovered P1.4 million worth of ‘MJ’ – was thrown into a river by the driver and a passenger of the crashed pickup on Kennon Road Sunday morning.
Crashed pickup truck yields P1.4M ‘MJ’ in Benguet
A VEHICULAR accident along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, early Sunday morning led responding officers to a startling discovery: the ill-fated pickup truck was actually carrying an estimated P1.4 million worth of dried marijuana (MJ) leaves believed set to be smuggled to Metro Manila.
According to Cordillera Police Regional Office Director Brigadier General Ronald O. Lee, the driver of the chili orange Ford Ranger pickup truck and his passenger are now undergoing investigation prior to the filing of criminal charges for transporting prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against them.
Brig. Gen. Lee said that an initial investigation showed that at around 4:40 a.m. Sunday, the pickup driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp curve of Kennon Road on their way to Baguio City.
As a result, the vehicle, which reportedly developed mechanical trouble, turned upside down.
First responders brought the driver and his passenger to a local hospital for treatment of body injuries while under police guard.
However, residents informed members of the Tuba Municipal Police Station and the Baguio City Police Station 8 that they saw the occupants of the pickup pulling a box from the vehicle before throwing it into the river shortly after they met the accident.
Upon verification, officers discovered that the box contained pieces of marijuana leaves in a tubular form worth an estimated P1.44 million.
Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge (PNP-OIC) Lt. Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. congratulated the Cordillera police force for immediately responding to the scene of the accident and investigating claims by residents leading to the discovery of the drugs.
“It’s a good thing that we have witnesses who helped us recover the box containing illegal drugs. Now, our investigators are identifying where this came from and the destination where the items will be delivered,” Lt. Gen. Danao said.
The recovered pieces of marijuana leaves will be used as evidence against the two suspects, Brig. Gen. Lee said.
Transporting marijuana is a non-bailable offense in the country, which is punishable by life imprisonment upon conviction by the court.
