LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Two men from Cavite, who were trying to transport P2.4-million worth of marijuana bricks, was intercepted by the Benguet Provincial Police Office (BPO) in Tublay, Benguet.
Benguet PPO Director Col. Elmer Ragay identified the arrested suspects as Jevie Malipot Pabia, 34, and Rommel Manuel Barrientos,39, both residents of Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Ragay said, personnel of Tublay MPS were conducting a coronavirus disease (COVID19) quarantine checkpoint in Sitio Betwag, Caponga, Tublay, Benguet at about 2 p.m. on Friday, November 20, when they received a text message from a member of the Barangay Ambongdolan peace action team that there were two suspicious-looking men in a white van that could pass by the area.
Minutes after, a spotter saw a white van, but it slowed down several meters from the checkpoint, and even attempted to make a U-turn.
But the spotter was quick to react and approached the van along with members of the Benguet PPO.
The police inspected the Travel Authority of the passengers, and found it was out of jurisdiction. The passenger then rushed to the second seat of the van in an attempt to cover up something with a black garbage bag and hide something.
The police asked the passenger to alight from the vehicle and open the side door of the van which he complied. The police personnel saw a white sack covered with a black garbage bag at the second seat of the van.
Ragay said a K9 was brought in to sniff out the vehicle, and found that the contents of the black bag were 20 tubes containing marijuana leaves.
The tubes weight one kilo each, and were estimated to have a total worth of P2.4 million.
The suspects and the confiscated items were brought to Tublay Municipal Police Station for filing of a case for the transportation of marijuana.