Around 10,500 marijuana plants worth more than P2 million were seized by the authorities led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Tarragona, Davao Oriental on Saturday.
Two men, alleged to be the planters, were arrested during the operation in the hills of Sitio Pagkawian, Barangay Tobaon around 12:30 p.m.
PDEA XI regional director Antonio Rivera identified the suspects as Vincent Adjadan Lintuan and Romel Basog Adjadan, both considered as high value targets for maintaining a marijuana farm.
Two other suspects, Merlindo Malintadand and Gil Sugaan, were able to escape.
Aiding the regional PDEA in the raid were PDEA-Davao Oriental, PDEA-XI Seaport Interdiction Unit, PDEA-XI Regional Special Enforcement Team, Tarragona Municipal Police Station, Manay Municipal Police Station, Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Davao Oriental Provincial Force Company, and the Police Provincial Intelligence Division.
Rivera said they secured a search warrant after an informant tipped them on the marijuana plantation.
He said the marijuana plants were all fully grown.
The suspects are now detained at the PDEA-Davao Oriental pending the filing of proper charges for violating Section 16 of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
