MORE than P3 million worth of fully grown marijuana plants and marijuana stalks were uprooted and destroyed in the towns of Kibungan, Kapangan and Bakun in Benguet Province on January 8 and 9.
No cultivator were arrested during the operations while all marijuana plants during the operations were uprooted and burned on site except for a few samples that will be submitted for qualitative examination.
On Thursday, joint personnel of Kapangan Municipal Police Station, barangay officials of Beling-Belis, Benguet Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), Benguet Police Intelligence Branch (PIB) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEA)-Cordillera discovered close to 15,000 fully grown marijuana plants with an estimated Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) value of P3 million planted in at least 1,500 square meters lot at Gotgoto, Beleng-Belis in Kapangan.
In Bakun, joint personnel of Bakun Municipal Police Station Benguet DEU, PIB and PDEA Cordillera at Sitio Tubongan, Kayapa eradicated 1,060 fully grown marijuana
plants planted in an estimated land area of 270 square meters with estimated DDB value of P212, 000.
Moreover, joint personnel of Kibungan MPS, Benguet DEU, PIB and PDEA Cordillera conducted marijuana eradication on three sites at Sitio Dupinas Barangay Palina, Kibungan that resulted to the destruction of 120 fully grown marijuana plants on a 30 square meters lot with estimated DDB value of P 24,000.
While authorities were scouring nearby areas, five kilos of dried marijuana stalks were discovered and uprooted with a DDB value of P600,000.
Colonel Elmer Ragay, Benguet Provincial Police Office director lauded the operation saying Benguet Police are optimistic and serious in its unrelenting campaign against illegal drugs and the recent operation will serve as a warning to all those who engage in the cultivation of illegal drugs.