World · Philippines Bureau
Drug agents destroy P2.19M marijuana crop on Ilocos Sur-Benguet border
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine National Police have destroyed over two million pesos worth of marijuana plants during a joint operation along the disputed provincial border. The operation was conducted over two days in mid-September.
LSN Philippines ·
SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — Authorities have seized and destroyed marijuana plants valued at approximately P2.19 million following a coordinated two-day enforcement operation along the contentious Ilocos Sur-Benguet provincial boundary.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted the operation on September 10-11 in a remote border area, targeting illegal drug cultivation activities in the region. The joint effort reflects intensified efforts by law enforcement to combat drug production in upland areas across the northern Philippines.
The uprooted plants were subsequently destroyed, authorities confirmed. The operation underscores ongoing challenges in monitoring and controlling illicit drug manufacturing in mountainous terrain along provincial boundaries, where enforcement agencies face significant logistical obstacles.
The PDEA and PNP have not disclosed additional details regarding the scope of the operation or whether arrests were made during the enforcement action. Border regions in the Cordillera and adjacent provinces have become focal points for anti-drug operations in recent years.