P5M marijuana bricks seized at Baguio bus station

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Police and operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) seized over P5 million worth of marijuana bricks from a market vendor at a bus terminal in Magsaysay, Baguio City on Tuesday.

PDEA Cordillera director Ronald Alan Ricardo said the 44 marijuana bricks, weighing over 41 kilos, were mixed with used clothes, peanuts and bananas in the baggage of Antonette Campiwer Churping, a native of Sadanga, Mountain Province.

Ricardo said the dried marijuana leaves originated from Bontoc and would be distributed in Baguio City.

Police operatives also arrested a fireman and seized 50 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with a street value of P300,000 during a raid on a shabu tiangge or flea market in Maria Aurora town in Aurora province Tuesday night.

Senior Superintendent Elmer Bantog, provincial police director, identified the suspect as Fire Officer 2 Reynaldo Bitong, a resident of Barangay 2.

A 9mm caliber pistol, ammunition and several drug paraphernalia were also seized from Bitong. – Raymund Catindig, Manny Galvez