Police destroy P3-M worth of marijuana in 2013
-A A +AFriday, March 1, 2013
THE Oplan Emerald Mountain, which aims to seize marijuana in the Cordillera, has destroyed some P3,108,000-worth of marijuana this year.
OPLAN Emerald Mountain was organized by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Air Force (PAF) to seize marijuana in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
This year, the agencies were able to seize marijuana from the mountains of Sitio Batangan, Barangay Takadang in Kibungan, Benguet.
NBI regional director Jose Limmayog Jr. said they will not cease eradication activities until the agency sees the proliferation of the illegal plant stops especially in the hinterlands.
An estimated P30,000-worth of seized marijuana was burned at the NBI-CAR grounds in March 1.
However, no suspect was arrested and held accountable for the planting of the contraband.
“Next time, we’ll make an arrest,” assured Limmayog as he spoke about the future plans of the NBI.
Limmayog ordered Oplan Emerald team led by Special Investigator Gerard Butale to arrest planters so they could file a case against those who have been planting the illegal marijuana plants.
“NBI aims to look for a marijuana planter who will be caught in act. Once the planter is arrested, he will be liable for the crime committed,” he said.
Butale said that the rain and the transportation made it harder for them to look for marijuana plants as they have to walk for hours to reach these plantations.
He added that if only they have a chopper, they could have confiscated and eradicated more marijuana plantations as he promised to go back and continue the eradication activities this year.
Limmayog said, in his second term as the Regional Director, he promised to come up with strategies to stop not only marijuana but also other crimes in the region.
“Kung mayroon kayong report about sa mabibigat na krimen, report it to us and we’ll make sure it is solved,” he said. (Ryan Fernandez, UB Intern)
Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on March 02, 2013.
Local news
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