Daily TribuneAuthorities destroyed over 17,000 fully grown marijuana plants in the upland town of Sugpon, Ilocos Sur. The raid covered 2,700 square meters across five sites, but no arrests were made.
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Authorities destroyed over 17,000 fully grown marijuana plants in the upland town of Sugpon, Ilocos Sur. The raid covered 2,700 square meters across five sites, but no arrests were made.
Photo Courtesy of PDEA Regional Office 1
Authorities destroyed an estimated P3.49 million worth of fully grown marijuana plants in a joint eradication operation in Barangay Licungan, Sugpon, on 22 September 2025.
Police reports said around 17,450 marijuana plants were uprooted from five identified plantation sites covering about 2,700 square meters in the upland areas of the town. The operation was conducted at around 2:30 p.m. by elements of the Sugpon Police Station, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Ilocos Sur Provincial Office (PDEA-ISPO), and the Ilocos Sur Police Provincial Office–Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (ISPPO-PDEU).
While no suspects were apprehended, investigators said charges for violation of Section 16, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against still unidentified cultivators.
Officials said this latest bust highlights the persistence of large-scale marijuana cultivation in the highland boundaries of Northern Luzon despite successive raids. Authorities also urged the public to report suspected drug plantations in their areas.
