FIVE suspected drug pushers were arrested in Cordillera while P612,000 worth of marijuana plants were destroyed in separate operations by the different operating units of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR).

Alexander Chavez Gucilatar, 45, driver and resident of Wayside, Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet was held in the morning of September 23, at Puguis while Teofilo Nabadang Abellera, was apprehended at Kabildatan, Barangay Zone 7, Bangued, Abra in the afternoon.

Confiscated from Gucilatar were one sachet of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), P3,000 cash and one mobile phone while two transparent heat sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu, P1,520 cash, and a cellphone were seized from Abellera.

Meanwhile, a suspected female drug pusher identified as “Kim” was apprehended in Padre Zamora Street, Baguio City in the morning of September 20, while Erick Catalla Festejo was apprehended along Zone 3, Actividad, Economia Street, Bangued, Abra in the evening of September 19.

Confiscated from Kim were one small transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu wrapped with a small white paper with marking band aid amounting to P1,000, while three transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu, P1,000 cash, a cellphone and other drug paraphernalia were seized from Festejo.

A 17–year–old resident of Crystal Cave, Baguio City was taken into custody on September 19 after he was caught in military cut-off while in possession of one heat sealed sachet of suspected marijuana.

Moreover, a total of P612,000 worth of marijuana plants were destroyed and burned onsite during the conduct of simultaneous marijuana eradications on September 23.

Close to 300 mairjuana seedlings were discovered and uprooted in a 60 square meter lot with an estimated Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) value of P12,000 at Sitio Bacbacan, Barangay Poblacion, Kibungan, Benguet.

In Tanudan, Kalinga, 3,000 fully grown marijuana plants were discovered and destroyed in a 300 square meter lot with an estimated DDB value of P600,000 was destroyed in Barangay Babanoy.