Police seize P40.1M drugs in Cordillera operations

BAGUIO CITY — Police in the northern highlands seized illegal drugs worth P40.14 million in a series of anti-narcotics operations in the Cordillera region on Jan. 21–22, authorities said.

The Police Regional Office–Cordillera (PRO-CAR) said the largest haul was recovered in Tinglayan town, Kalinga province, where officers found 217 kilograms of dried marijuana bricks with an estimated street value of P26.04 million.

The drugs, packed in 11 sacks, were discovered after farmers reported suspicious abandoned bags near a village trail.

In Benguet province, joint eradication teams uprooted and destroyed marijuana plants from multiple plantations in Kibungan, Kapangan, and Bakun towns.

Authorities said they eliminated more than 47,000 fully grown marijuana plants, thousands of seedlings, and nearly 20 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves and stalks, with a combined estimated value of P12.88 million.

Another marijuana plantation containing 6,000 plants worth P1.2 million was discovered in Tinglayan, Kalinga, during follow-up operations.

Separately, police arrested two suspected street-level drug personalities in buy-bust operations.

A 60-year-old man was caught in Buguias, Benguet, with 0.84 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth P5,712, while a 49-year-old woman was arrested in Baguio City with 2.5 grams of suspected shabu valued at P17,000.

All seized drugs were turned over to respective police units for documentation and proper disposition.

Authorities said investigations are ongoing to identify those behind the marijuana plantations and abandoned drug shipments.

The suspects face charges under the Philippines’ Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.