• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A marijuana plantation was discovered by policemen while serving an arrest warrant in Sitio Mangga, Barangay Manduao, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental Jan. 31.
About 3,000 fully grown marijuana plants were immediately uprooted and burned on site by the Bayawan City police and 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company troopers.
The documentation and disposal were witnessed by barangay officials, led by Jevy Bianan, a report of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office said.
The burned marijuana plants have an estimated market value of P600,000.
However, the cultivators have not been established by the police yet.
Meanwhile, anti-drug operations of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region led to the arrest of 44 drug suspects, from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1.
A total of 520 grams of suspected shabu, valued at P3.8 million, were confiscated.
On Feb. 2, the police arrested a suspect in a buy-bust in Purok Arao, Barangay Vista Alegre, Bacolod City.
The apprehension of alias “Nok” led to the recovery of about 85 grams of suspected shabu, valued at P578,000. | GB
