By Che Palicte/Philippine News Agency
DAVAO CITY – Police seized an estimated P600,000 worth of marijuana leaves and arrested one suspect in an anti-illegal drugs operation in Barangay Dahican, Mati City, Davao Oriental on Tuesday (Oct. 19).
In a statement Wednesday (Oct. 20), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Davao Region (PDEA-11) spokesperson Noli Dimaandal said around five kilos of suspected Cannabis sativa, locally known as “marijuana,” were seized from the suspect identified as Royroy Binawi Malintad alias Boy, 25, single, a farmer and resident of Barangay Tomoang, Tarragona, Davao Oriental.
Joint elements of the Davao Oriental Provincial Office of PDEA-11, Police Regional Office 11, Davao Oriental Police Provincial Office, and Mati City Police Station nabbed Malintad during a buy-bust operation for selling a bundle of suspected dried marijuana fruiting tops wrapped in plastic and weighing more or less five kilos to a PDEA agent who acted as a poseur buyer.
Dimaandal said the raiding team also seized another six big packs of suspected dried marijuana leaves wrapped in a newspaper, drug paraphernalia, and the buy-bust marked money.
He added that the motorcycle the suspect used in his illegal drug trade was also confiscated.
“The marijuana leaves were transported by the suspect from Tarragona town where he lives. It is supposed to be distributed to his clients in the city,” Dimaandal told the Philippine News Agency.
He also recalled that a marijuana eradication activity had been conducted before in the same barangay where Malintad was residing.
“I am just not certain as to when that event happened but as to the plantation, I can recall that we discovered one in Tarragona town,” Dimaandal said.
Malintad will be facing criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA) – bny
