Authorities seize P11.57M worth of marijuana in Sulu, Clark

    Marijuana plants worth P11.57 million were seized by law enforcement agencies in separate operations in Sulu and Clark, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported yesterday.

    On Friday, February 23, PDEA and Bangsamoro police teams joint together and discovered 11,950 marijuana plants in Barangay Pitogo in Kalilangan, Caluang, Sulu province. The illegal plants, valued at P10.27 million, were uprooted and destroyed on the spot.

    Authorities identified the cultivator by the name Mahdi, and cases for violations of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, are being prepared against him.

    Meanwhile, on February 20, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported that PDEA captured a shipment containing P1.3 million in marijuana at the Port of Clark. The PDEA marked the package, which was falsely declared as “food spices, condiments, and groceries,” and conducted a physical examination.

    Officers from the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and Barangay Dau officials found 26 packages of a powdery substance and four packages of dried leaves and fruiting tops inside the shipment.

    Authorities are still looking into the origins of the seized drugs as part of their ongoing efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking in the country.