TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Four men were arrested for allegedly transporting 112 kilos of marijuana bricks valued at P13.4 million in Barangay Bantay here yesterday.
Tabuk police chief Police Col. Radino Belly identified the suspects as Augusto Formales Galicia, driver, from Peñafrancia, Magamit, Antipolo City; Eduardo Libao Patiga, truck helper, from East Rembo, Makati City; Wenceslao Formales Galicia, driver, from Francia, Antipolo City; and John Benedick Esperito Camia, 22, helper, from Anabo, Imus City, Cavite.
Belly said they received intelligence information that the suspects were transporting marijuana. The police here, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Kalinga, Kalinga PECU, CIDG Kalinga Apayao PFU, PDEU-PIU, RID PRO Cordillera, RIU 14, 1st and 2nd PFMC, and 141 SAC PNP SAF established a checkpoint and at 11 a.m. and flagged down the suspects who were onboard a black Toyota Innova with license plates NGF-5992.
Recovered from the suspects were 112 kilos of marijuana bricks valued at P13.4 million.
Meanwhile, anti-illegal drugs personnel of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera seized P5-million worth of marijuana in separate eradication operations in Benguet and Mountain Province recently.
Benguet police director Police Col. Reynaldo Pasiwen said they conducted an operation in Bakun that led to the discovery of 6,400 fully grown marijuana plants with a Standard Drug Price (SDP) of P1.3 million planted on a communal forest in Sitio Kinmayad, Barangay Kayapa with an estimated land area of 800 square meters.
Pasiwen said another operation was conducted in Sitio Lamagan, Tacadang, Kibungan where 800 fully grown marijuana plants with an SDP of P160,000 planted on a public lot with an estimated land area of 200 square meters were found. In addition, they also found 10 kilograms of dried marijuana stalks with an SDP of P1.2 million.
On the other hand, Mountain Province police chief Police Col. Ruben Andiso said three persons were arrested while transporting marijuana bricks worth P1.4 million during a checkpoint operation in Sitio Ampawelin, Poblacion, Sadanga, Mountain Province. The suspects were identified as Jeffrey Mateo de Guzman, 48; Jerry Cunanan Salonga, 36, and Allandrix Sagcal Eligio, 40, all from Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
In Baggao, Cagayan, a barangay chairman considered as a high-value target (HVT) was arrested by the PDEA Cagayan and Baggao police during a buy-bust operation Tuesday in Barangay San Isidro.
Seized from the suspect Arnold Alonzo, 45, was one small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu weighing one gram with an estimated value of P6,800.