UP TO P4 million worth of marijuana were uprooted by the joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA 7) and the Cebu Police Provincial Office in Sitio Hikapon, Barangay General Climaco, Toledo City, midwest Cebu on Friday morning, July 22, 2022.
The police trekked for three hours before they reached Sitio Hikapon where around 10,000 fully grown marijuana amounting to P4 million were planted.
The suspected owners of the marijuana plants, Richard Cañaleso and his younger brother Caloy, however, eluded arrest, said PDEA 7 spokesperson Leia Alcantara.
Alcantara said the Cañaleso siblings were under surveillance for three weeks after the PDEA received information concerning their illegal activities.
Despite eluding arrest, the brothers are set to be charged for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Cebu City, NegOr buybust
The day before, seven suspected drug sellers were also arrested and more than P150,000 worth of alleged shabu were confiscated in separate buy-busts in Cebu City and Sibulan town in Negros Oriental.
In Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, four men were arrested by PDEA 7 in a raid at around 1:40 p.m. on Thursday, July 21.
Arrested were drug den maintainer Manuel Sotelliza, 69, drug den employee Antonieta Gonzaga, 28; and drug den visitors Jimmy Allarse, 34, and Wilfredo Camanceli, Jr., 29, a jeepney driver.
Seized during the raid were 13 packs of suspected shabu weighing 10 grams with a street value of P68,000.
Later at 3:15 p.m., PDEA operatives in Negros Oriental dismantled a drug den and arrested three drug suspects in Purok 6, Barangay Cangmating.
Those arrested were Junjun Bahinting, 25, who allegedly operated the drug den; Abraham Asaral, 36, a construction worker and drug den maintainer, and Dave Calingacion, 33.
Seized from them were 10 sachets of alleged shabu weighing 13 grams with a standard drug price of P88,400. (AYB / TPT)