LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Two persons transporting some P2.4 million worth of dried marijuana leaves were intercepted on Friday by operatives of the Benguet Provincial Police Office in Tublay, Benguet.
Police Col. Elmer Ragay, police provincial director, identified the arrested suspects as Jevie Malipot Pabia, 34, and Rommel Manuel Barrientos, 39, both residents of Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Ragay said Tublay policemen were manning a quarantine checkpoint at Sitio Betwag, Caponga in Tublay at about 2 p.m. when they received a text message from a barangay peacekeeping officer informing them about a white Nissan van bearing plate number NFW 7312 with two suspicious passengers on board.
The van passengers, who claimed they were from Bakun, Benguet, were asking for directions to Baguio City.
The cops flagged down the van and found out that the Travel Authority of the passengers was of out of jurisdiction.
The police officers asked the passengers to get off the vehicle and open the side door of the van where they discovered a black garbage bag containing dried marijuana leaves.
Police seized a total of 20 kilos of marijuana in tubular form worth around P2.4 million.
The suspects and the confiscated items were brought to Tublay Municipal Police Station for filing of appropriate charges. (Zaldy Comanda)
