MJ sisters slip MP checkpoint

2 MIN READ

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (May 15) — Two lady drug traders who slipped into a checkpoint in Mountain Province are now being hunted by anti-narcotics agents.

Rosa and Unchangay Macabio, sisters from upland Betwagan barangay in Sadanga town, were enroute to Baguio City with at least 27 kilos of dried marijuana leaves in brick form on May 4.

Chief Inspector Edgar Apalla of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) here said tipsters claimed the duo were transporting the marijuana aboard a bus bound for Baguio City on that day, thus a checkpoint was pitched by Bontoc town policemen and PDEA agents.

However, the sisters seemingly sensed “danger” and got off the bus before it reached the checkpoint at sitio Tigil, Betwagan, Sadanga town.

The duo however left the drug haul worth P625,000.00 inside the bus.

Apalla claimed that the haul was about to be delivered to a buyer in Baguio City.

Just this Tuesday, three big time marijuana traders tagged by authorities as “Santol Boys” because they are natives of hinterland Santol town, in La Union, were bagged after more than five months of snooping by PDEA agents.

At least 110 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves valued to reach P2,750,000.00 were also seized from Samuel Pascua Pal-iwen,51, Jose Gumpeng Astudillo, 22 and Juan Matio Asisto,18, all residents of Barangay Sasaba, Santol.

In a buy-bust operation at Dontogan Road in Barangay Santo Tomas here, the trio was caught red-handedly selling to a poseur-buyer the marijuana haul, said Apalla.

The drug haul were packed inside chute sacks and sealed with packaging tapes.

Apalla hinted that the trio was new to the illegal trade but had been operating in Ilocos Region and Baguio City for the past several months.

The marijuana was believed to have come from illegal plantations along the tri-boundaries of La Union, Benguet and Ilocos Sur.

Again on May 13, more than 100 kilos of dried marijuana bricks were also seized by PDEA agents from two suspects from Kibungan, another upland town in Benguet.

PDEA believes that this summer season, the illegal trade is at its peak because it is the harvest season, and the incoming school enrollment is prompting those still engaged in the illegal business to raise money.

This season, Apalla said, is prompting them to be on high alert for this illegal business. # Ace Alegre for NORDIS