Cordillera police seize P1.94M drugs, arrest two in twin operations

BAGUIO CITY (April 3, 2026) — Police in the Cordillera Administrative Region seized nearly P2 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested two suspects in separate anti-narcotics operations in Benguet and Baguio City on April 2, authorities said.

In Benguet province, joint police and anti-drug units uncovered four marijuana plantation sites in the towns of Kibungan and Kapangan, yielding a total of 6,670 fully grown marijuana plants and 5,000 grams of dried marijuana stalks with fruiting tops.

Authorities estimated the haul’s standard drug price at P1,934,000.

The operations were part of the ongoing “Oplan Ultimate Grasscutter 2026,” a regional campaign targeting large-scale marijuana cultivation in mountainous areas. Police units, backed by intelligence and drug enforcement agencies, uprooted and burned all discovered plants on-site.

Investigators are continuing efforts to identify and locate those responsible for cultivating the illegal crops.

Meanwhile, in Baguio City, police arrested a 25-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman during a response operation in Barangay Sto. Niño, Slaughter area, following a tip from concerned citizens about an alleged ongoing drug transaction.

Officers seized three packets of suspected shabu weighing 1.17 grams, with an estimated value of P7,956, along with drug paraphernalia.

The suspects, both tagged as street-level individuals, are now in police custody and face charges under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Police said the twin operations underscore intensified enforcement efforts against both highland marijuana production and urban drug distribution networks in the region.