A PLANTATION filled with marijuana plants worth P9 million were found by police and anti-drug agents in Barangay Gaas, Balamban town on Friday, February 22.
Operatives of the Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, Balamban Police Station, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)- Central Visayas found the plantation in Sitio Koo in Barangay Gaas following a tip from a civilian agent.
More than 20,000 fully grown marijuana plants were uprooted and burned.
Superintendent Rene Kyamko, PMFC chief, disclosed that the plantation was allegedly owned by a certain Donito Ocariza, a farmer living there.
A civilian agent of the local police was able to provide them with a tip on Ocariza’s activities.
On Thursday, February 21, police officers posing as civilians went to the area to confirm the information provided by the tipster.
When they were able to confirm that Ocariza was planting marijuana, police and PDEA agents immediately initiated the operation the next day.
Ocariza was not seen when police and PDEA agents conducted the operation and may have fled after noticing their presence in the area, Kyamko added.
Kyamko said they plan to file a case against Ocariza. (AYB of Superbalita Cebu/ JKV)