P20M worth of marijuana seized in Tarlac buy-bust, 6 arrested


Police have arrested six people tagged as members of a syndicate operating a marijuana distribution network in northern and central part of Luzon during buy-bust in Concepcion, Tarlac.

(PHOTO VIA AARON RECUENCO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the operation resulted in the confiscation of 163 marijuana bricks with an estimated street value of P20 million.

He identified the arrested suspects as Marlon Miranda, 34; Joey Palaeyan, 33; Freddie Letta, 35; Carl Maico, 22; Via Jean Ortega, 19; and, Lorraine Fulgencio, 23.

Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, director of the Central Luzon regional police, said the confiscation stemmed from a buy-bust in Barangay San Francisco in Concepcion town on Wednesday morning.

This, after a police poseur buyer was able to negotiate for the purchase of P3 million worth of marijuana from the suspects. The arrest was announced as soon as they received the marked money.

De Leon said that police also seized a cellular phone, used in the transaction of marijuana, a Toyota Altis bearing plate number BTK777, and 100 rounds of 5.56 ammunition.

The arrested suspects and confiscated pieces of evidence, according to de Leon, were brought to the PNP provincial drug enforcement unit while documents for the filing of complaints are being prepared.