The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in joint operations with the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) burned large areas of fully grown marijuana plants with estimated value of P260 million in two (2) Benguet towns last week.
In a report submitted to NBI Director Nonnatus Caesar R. Rojas by the NBI-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Office headed by Regional Director Jose A. Limmayog, Jr. , on April 14-20, 2013, two and a half (2.56) hectares of fully grown marijuana were burned in 51 plantation sites in the municipalities of Kibungan and Bakun, province of Benguet. The approximated market value based on Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) estimate is P260,972,800.00.
Earlier, in joint operations conducted on Feb. 19-22, 2013, the team destroyed six (6) plantation sites of fully grown marijuana plants and confiscated 60 kilograms of dried marijuana in Kibungan, Benguet with market value of P3,180,000 million based on DDB estimate.
In January 28-31, 2013, some 70 plantation sites of fully grown marijuana plants were destroyed, 7,000 kilogram of dried marijuana were confiscated, and 900 kilograms of marijuana seeds were likewise destroyed in tri-boundaries of the provinces of Benguet, La Union and Ilocos Sur with an approximated market value based on DDB estimate at P45,369,300.00.
The NBI in coordination with other law enforcement agencies has been in the forefront against drug trafficking including weeding out marijuana plantation sites mostly located in the highland provinces of Northern Luzon and the Cordilleras.