ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUGS OP. Government law enforcers present PHP13 million worth of dried marijuana leaves weighing 133 kilograms seized from two suspects in a hot pursuit operation inside Clark Freeport, Pampanga on Sunday (Aug. 8, 2020). The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday (Aug. 10, 2020) said authorities seized around PHP81.62 million worth of marijuana in seven separate anti-illegal drug operations over the past three weeks. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-3)
MANILA – Law enforcers seized PHP81.62 million worth of marijuana in seven separate anti-illegal drug operations over the past three weeks, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.
In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said authorities also raided three marijuana farms in response to his directive to step up the campaign against illicit drugs even as PNP units are working to impose quarantine measures to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Drug traffickers are taking advantage of the pandemic under the mistaken notion that the PNP is more preoccupied with health concerns. Be warned. We will intensify operations and continue going after the syndicates, whether big or small,” Gamboa said.
On Sunday, elements of the 3rd Regional Mobile Force Battalion intercepted a shipment of high-grade marijuana worth PHP13 million from two suspects on board a white van with license plate CAO5719 that ran through a police checkpoint in Clark, Mabalacat City.
When stopped, police found 107 bricks of high-grade marijuana weighing 133 kilos stashed inside the van in the possession of Morgano Manalastas and Ronald Miranda, both of Angeles City.
In Metro Manila, operatives of the District Drug Enforcement Unit of Northern Police District arrested three suspects in a series of operations in Valenzuela City and Antipolo City.
In both operations, police confiscated 34 kilos of marijuana and 156 grams of high-grade Kush -- a variety of cannabis -- estimated to be worth PHP4.3 million.
Elsewhere, three marijuana farm eradication operations were launched in the hinterlands of Tinglayan, Kalinga in the Cordilleras, and in Toledo City in Central Visayas, yielding a total of 286,150 fully-grown marijuana plants valued at PHP59.3 million that were destroyed on site.
Meanwhile, police recovered an abandoned 42 kilos of marijuana bricks discovered by a jogger along Quezon Boulevard Botanical Park in Quezon, Isabela.
The recovered contraband is estimated to be worth over PHP5 million in the drug market.
During the first six months of 2020 alone, the PNP confiscated some 1.57 metric tons of shabu and some 2.9 metric tons of marijuana during 25,612 separate police operations that resulted to the arrest of 38,178 suspects. (PNA)
