CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Police Regional Office (PRO) 10 (Northern Mindanao) has seized suspected shabu and marijuana plants with an estimated street value of PHP2.2 million for this month alone

In a statement on the afternoon of March 30, 2023, the PRO-10 said their latest operation led to the confiscation of suspected shabu valued at PHP737,800 in the towns of Maramag and Valencia towns in Bukidnon.

On March 29, 2023, operatives of the Bukidnon Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit arrested Orlando Obial, the sixth most wanted drug personality in Maramag town.

Recovered from him were shabu valued at PHP329,000 and other drug paraphernalia.

Meanwhile, the PRO-10’s Special Operations Unit – Provincial Drug Enforcement Group also uprooted more than PHP1.5 million worth of 7,500 marijuana plants in Barangay Guinuyoran, Valencia City on March 24.

No cultivator was apprehended but all uprooted marijuana plants were burned.

Gen. Lawrence Coop, PRO-10 director, has warned cultivators to stop growing marijuana plants as this is considered illegal under the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“The penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from PHP500,000 to PHP10,000,000 shall be imposed upon any person who shall plant, cultivate, or culture marijuana, opium poppy, or any other plant regardless of quantity,” he said.

In this city, anti-narcotics operatives also conducted a buy-bust operation resulting in the arrest of Christopher Lorenzo of Barangay Carmen earlier this week.

Confiscated from the suspect were PHP408,000 worth of suspected shabu. (Nef Luczon/PNA)