MARIJUANA PLANTATION. Suspected marijuana cultivator Julito Magsalang Ocer (center in handcuffs) leads a police officer and a village official to one of the illegal plants he is maintaining at his farm in remote Barangay Sumalili, Arakan, North Cotabato following a raid on Monday (March 23, 2020). Authorities say they have yet to ascertain the value of the full-grown marijuana plants (inset) dotted across the three-hill farm lot of the suspect. (Photo courtesy of PRO-12)
COTABATO CITY – Policemen raided a marijuana plantation on Monday and arrested a suspect in Arakan, North Cotabato.
Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus, chief of the Police Regional Office-12, said they have yet to ascertain the value of the illegal plants found hidden from view in a three-hill farm lot in far-flung Barangay Sumalili of the municipality.
“The Arakan police received a tip on Monday morning about the existence of a marijuana plantation in the area so they immediately set up a team to check it,” Corpus said in a statement Tuesday.
The village of Sumalili is situated some 35 kilometers away from the town center.
Police arrested Julito Magsalang Ocer, 38, the alleged owner of the farm lot, who was caught in the act of watering the marijuana plants.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 are now being readied against the suspect now detained at the Arakan police station. (PNA)
