Police uprooted 8,000 fully grown suspected marijuana plants worth PHP 1.6 million during an enhanced police operation Sunday night in the mountain village of Manduao in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.
Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) spokesperson Lt. Stephen Polinar told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that police operatives chanced upon the “marijuana plantation” while on their way to serve a warrant of arrest against a wanted person in the area around 9:15 p.m. Sunday in the sub-village of Santos, Barangay Manduao.
Except for five marijuana plants that were saved for laboratory examination and chemical analysis, the rest of the cannabis plants were destroyed on-site.
Polinar said police are still locating the owner of the land planted with marijuana.
Meanwhile, during the Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO) from Aug. 9 to 11, police also seized a total of 46.620 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street price of PHP 317,000.
Polinar said 14 persons were arrested in 15 different anti-illegal drug operations during the SACLEO.
Also, more than 1,140 individuals were arrested for illegal gambling and violation of local ordinances, as well as those with arrest warrants tagged as wanted or most wanted persons. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
