P3M marijuana plants uprooted in Davao Sur

[Hash]

MILITARY and police forces swooped down on three hinterland villages in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur Thursday and destroyed a big marijuana plantation that spans through these three isolated areas, allegedly maintained and protected by armed bandits.

At least P3.1 million worth of fully-grown marijuana plants were uprooted by joint elements of the police's Regional Mobile Group (RMG-11) and the Army's 25th Infantry Battalion. The uprooted marijuana plants were burned on site.

This development is expected to reduce the overall supply of marijuana in the region by more than half, police said.

Police said armed bandits engaged authorities in brief firefights during the operation. Two bandits were believed killed while a policeman and an Army soldier were slightly injured.

An after-operation report prepared by police regional office revealed the mountain sitios of Ulolutay, Lamlago and Kiamo, all in Barangay Kimlawis in Kiblawan, are major source of dried marijuana leaves being sold in various parts of the region, which also find its way even to international markets.

Chief Supt. Simeon P. Dizon Jr., regional police chief, said they received intelligence reports indicating that a big marijuana plantation is being maintained in the area.

As this developed, Dizon convened Supt Nestor Quinsay, Davao del Sur provincial police director; Supt. Wilkins Villanueva, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-11 chief, and Maj. Bruce S. Concepcion, chief of Philippine Center on Transnational Crime-East Mindanao, and organized an operation in the area.

Dubbed as "Oplan Kimlawis 2004," the group ordered the RMG-11, under Supt. Aaron Aquino, and the Army's 25th IB under Major Lyndon Paniza and Capt. Antony Quemado, to proceed with the operation.

Philippine Air Force TOG-11 and AISG under Col. Nestor Deona and Major Luke Martem backed them up.

At around 12:15 a.m. Thursday, the operatives carried out the mission, but engaged in several yet brief firefights with those maintaining the plantation.

At least two bandits were believed killed while two firearms were recovered.

A policeman, Welton Saniel, of the Provincial Mobile Group, and an Army soldier were slightly injured when hit in separate occasions.

A responding Huey helicopter of the Airforce airlifted them.

Dizon hailed the officers and agencies leading to the operations, especially the RMG and 25th IB who professionally conducted the operations despite many constraints.

The wounded operatives are expected to be awarded a Wounded Personnel Medals. The wounded soldier was not identified in the report while Saniel is the son of Digos City police chief.

Dizon said warrants of arrest have been issued against those suspected to be maintaining the plantation identified by witnesses from nearby areas and those who allegedly owned the recovered firearms, identified as a certain Darong Bongan and one Tintin Maconda of Sitio Kiamo.


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