Two farmers busted over weed worth P3.7M

BAGUIO CITY — Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Cordillera and Region IV-A and local police arrested two farmers during a drug buy-bust operation in La Trinidad, Benguet yesterday.

The suspected drug dealers were identified as Levis Panangen y Paoway, alias Vis Lee, single, farmer, 26 years old; and Alvin Lid-ayan y Daiso, single, 21, both farmers and residents of Sitio Bakbakan, Barangay Poblacion, Kibungan, Benguet.

The police entrapment was conducted at the open parking space of the Strawberry Farm in Barangay Betag, La Trinidad around 5:30 a.m.

Seized from the suspects were 31 pieces of elongated dried marijuana leaves with stalks and fruiting tops wrapped in brown packaging tape.

The contraband has an estimated weight of more or less 31 kilograms and average value of P3.7 million. Also seized from the two suspects were a cellular phone, P630,000 boodle money, assorted bills amounting to P2,500, a white tamaraw FX with an OR/CR and a driver’s license.

The suspects are facing criminal charges for violating Section 5, and Section 5 in relation to Section 26 paragraph b of the  Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165.