A TWO-DAY Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group-led (PNP-DEG) marijuana “eradication drive” in Tinglayan, Kalinga, this week led to the uprooting and destruction of an estimated P23 million worth of fully-grown cannabis plants and seedlings, PNP-DEG Director Brigadier General Narciso D. Domingo said on Saturday.

“This is part of our ongoing effort to locate and destroy all secret marijuana plantation sites in the country in line with the directive of PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.,” said the official.

According to Domingo, the prohibited crops were found growing in an estimated 6,000 square-meter uninhabited land in Barangays Bugnay and Ngibat in Tinglayan municipality. However, no arrests were made during the operations.

Members of the DEG Cordillera Administrative Region Field Unit led the operation from 6:00 a.m. Wednesday up to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, he said.

The official said that his men were supported by troops from the Tinglayan Municipal Police Station, Cordillera Police Regional Intelligence Unit 14, the 1503rd and 1501st Maneuver Companies of the Cordillera Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and the local Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the conduct of the two-day anti-narcotics operation.

Uprooted in Bgy. Ngibat were an estimated 110,000 pieces of marijuana plants valued at P22 million. On the other hand, destroyed in Bgy. Bugnay were around P480,000 worth of cannabis.

All prohibited crops were burned on site after some samples were taken for the evidentiary purpose, said Domingo.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon