NBI unearths marijuna plantation in Benguet; burns 19,500 full-grown plants
A marijuana plantation with 19,500 full-grown plants valued at P3.9 million was discovered in Benguet, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Monday, Feb. 26.
The NBI said the operatives of the NBI’s Cordillera Administrative Region (NBI-CAR) found the plantation last Feb. 20 in Sitio Bana in Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan.
It said there were “19,500 pieces of fully grown Marijuana Plants, planted in an area of approximately 8,000 square meters with an estimated value of P3,900,000.”
With the discovery, the NBI said its operatives uprooted and burned the marijuana plants on site.
“The operation is a result of the information received by NBI-CAR regarding the existence of several marijuana plantations with fully-grown marijuana plants in the said area being maintained by a certain alias ‘Arturo’,” it said.
With the coordination of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the bureau said operatives of the NBI-CAR went to the area last Feb. 20 “for the destruction of the marijuana plantations and the apprehension of alias ‘Arturo’ and his possible cohorts.”
“Upon arrival at the first plantation, the operatives immediately conducted proper documentation, as there were no cultivators apprehended. NBI-CAR operatives immediately burned/destroyed the seized marijuana plants,” it said.
While the destruction of the plantation was ongoing, the NBI noted “NBI-CAR operatives deployed a Drone to determine the exact location of the other nearby plantations.”
“The same yielded positive result and the nearby plantations were also properly documented before the on-site destruction and burning,” it also said.