Confiscated marijuana plant burned

TARRAGONA, DAVAO ORIENTAL – Authorities burned bundles of seized marijuana plants during a ceremonial burning on Thursday, July 26 here.

The ceremonial burning of the banned pot plants was done after the successful Marijuana Eradication Operation in the villages of Tomoaong and Tubaon in Tarrgona town wherein operatives confiscated a total of 22,500 fully-grown marijuana stalks with an estimated value of P3.7 million and 2 kilos of marijuana seeds with an estimated value of P240,000.

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang said this is a huge breakthrough and a tremendous victory in “our fight against illegal drugs”. The Governor said he is proud of the joint operatives of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (Pdea), Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Army who worked closely in discovering and taking down the sprawling marijuana plantation on the two sites.

Tarragona Chief of Police, Police Senior Inspector Mark Lester Jalon, said this is the largest load of marijuana they have had confiscated and destroyed in the recent years. He said the intensive operation which took five days had commenced right after the Provincial Peace and Order Executive Council Meeting.

He revealed that cases are being wrapped up now to persons of interest who have something to do with the marijuana plantation.

The discovered marijuana plantations, which covered a total of two hectares, were located in hidden and isolated locations, deep beneath dense forests, as described by the operatives. With no access to roads, they say it will take at least eight hours to reach the sites on foot.

Lt. Col. Miguel Ramon, Commanding Officer of the Philippine Army’s 28th Infantry Battalion, said there is information that strongly links the cultivators of the marijuana plantations to the armed New People’s Army rebels who have set an encampment near the discovered plantations. Ramon added that the Philippine Army will continue its efforts in helping eradicate illegal drugs through collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and local government units. “The success of the operation is a very strong example of an interagency collaboration and action that is strongly supported by the community,” he said.

ONTRIBUTED PHOTO BURNT TO ASHES. It only took less than five minutes for the grown marijuana plants to turn into ashes in the ceremonial burning that added to the intensity of the scorching heat of the sun on June 26, 2018, which was the aftermath of five days intense operation by the joint forces of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency {PDEA}, Tarragona Municipal Police Station, Davao Oriental Police Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Regional Mobile Force Company, in the hinterlands of two sites in two barangays of Tarragona, Tomoaong and Tubaon.