Two police operations in Kalinga and Mountain Province resulted to the confiscation of nearly P9 million marijuana which were being transported by drug personalities.
In Tabuk City, Kalinga, police manning a checkpoint at barangay Bado Dangwa last Sunday arrested an unidentified courier, who is believed to have come from Loccong, Tinglayan. Police said that the man was aboard a black XRM motorcycle and carrying a balikbayan box which turned out to be full with suspected dried marijuana leaves.
Tabuk City Chief of Police PLtCol. Radino Belly and Provincial Director PCol. Davy Vicente Limmong said the balikbayan box contained some 65 kilos of suspected dried marijuana leaves and stalks with an estimated cost of around P7.8 Million.
With the arrest, Limmong said that checkpoints should be intensified because drug traffickers are getting craftier by the day and are also finding out new ways to sell their contraband during the lock down.
“We really need to look at more checkpoints and intensify intelligence operations,” he said.
In sitio Ampawilen, Poblacion, Sadanga in Mountain Province, joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Cordillera and the Police station of said town nabbed four individuals trying to sneak-out marijuana late Monday, April 26, evening.
Acting from a tip, the law enforcers set-up a checkpoint at said place and at around 11:35 PM of the said date, they intercepted a Black Toyota Avanza which came from the direction of Kalinga Province.
After searching the vehicle, they found eight bricks, one tubular shape; and two ball shape marijuana leaves with fruiting tops. The haul is about 8,250 grams and valued at P990,000.
The four suspects were identified as Laurence Bautista Ignacio, 21, single and resident of 12 Manacop St. Parang, Marikina City; John Ceasar Padilla, 20, single and resident of CM Recto Extension, Parang, Marikina City; Dan Mark Roa Delos Reyes, 21, single and resident of 12 Manacop St, Parang, Marikina City; and Vince Marie Robles Cruz, 21, single and a resident of #77 Lakandula St, Parang, Marikina City.
Other items found in the vehicle are tobacco pipe placed inside a blue pouch; an Oppo cellular phone; company ID cards under the name of Delos Reyes and Cruz; barangay ID cards belonging to Padilla and Cruz; and, a Petron Sweep RFID.
The suspects and confiscated pieces of evidence were brought to PDEA CAR office for a qualitative examination and drug screening test of the suspects, while a case for violation of RA 9165 is being prepared for referral to the Provincial Prosecution Office.
