SADANGA, Mountain Province – Two tourists, who are allegedly suspected as marijuana couriers, were arrested by combined police operatives and anti-narcotics after having found in their possession more than P7.7 million worth of marijuana in a police checkpoint at Ampawilen, Poblacion, here, Tuesday.
Police Brig. Gen. Mafelino Bazar, regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, identified the arrested tourists as Eliseo IV San Pedro Quiambao, 23, and John Cedric Gadia, 21, both residents of Quezon City.r
Probers disclosed that combined police operatives and anti-narcotics agents conducting a routine police checkpoint in the said place intercepted a private vehicle coming from Kalinga that was allegedly loaded with 3 sacks of marijuana bricks.
The said sacks contained some 67 bricks of dried marijuana leaves weighing more or less 64.83 kilos having a standard drug price of more than P7.7 million.
The suspects and the vehicle and contraband were taken by the police operatives for them to be placed under custody while awaiting the filing of charges for violation of the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law that will be filed against the two visitors.
Police authorities warned individuals attempting to transport the illegal hemp from the hinterlands of the Cordillera to any part of the country that they will always exert appropriate means to arrest them and prevent the distribution of the contraband in Metro Manila.
