Marijuana bricks seized in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines – Anti-narcotics policemen seized four chute sackfull of marijuana leaves already in brick form in Poblacion, Kibungan, Benguet early yesterday dawn. 

Senior Inspector Melchor Ong, deputy chief of the Regional Anti-illegal Drugs Task Group of the Cordillera police, said 46-year-old John Pawas, a porter and resident of Polis, Poblacion, Kibungan tried to trade his illegal contraband when poseur-buyers announced it was a sting operation.

Ninety-three dried marijuana leaves in brick form weighing 90 kilos were seized from Pawas who accordingly was eyeing buyers from the lowlands.

Pawas was thrown to the Benguet jail while he will face criminal charges in relation to the contraband, said Ong.

The drug haul was pegged to reach P 4,950,000. 

Tuesday last week, anti-narcotic agents torched at least P1.4 million worth of harvestable marijuana plants in a huge illegal plantation in Kapangan, touted as the marijuana capital of the country.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Cordillera chief Edgar Apalla pegged the marijuana haul to reach 6,400 plants that they burned in a 1,400 square meter plantation in a hinterland barangay.

Recently, Kapangan regained its tag as “marijuana capital of the Philippines” after a short-lived delisting last year when marijuana plantations again sprung into authorities’ eyes.