Marines find P500,000 worth of marijuana in Sulu

September 9, 2020

Marines found more than half a million pesos worth of marijuana and assorted drug paraphernalia during security patrol operation in Sulu on Tuesday, a military official said on Wednesday.

Capt. Maria Rowena Dalmacio, civil military operations officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team 8, said Marines were conducting security patrol in Sitio Garid, Brgy Kan-Mindus, Luuk, Sulu when they were fired upon by the alleged Abu Sayyaf members around 9 am.

"This forced the troops to return fire to a makeshift shanty where the shot originated," she said.

"Accordingly, the shanty is owned by Abu Sayyaf member Merson Alah Awwalun. He was formerly associated with late ASG/KFRG ( Abu Sayyaf Group/Kidnap for Ransom Group) sub-leader Alhabsi Misaya. However, when Misaya was neutralized, Awwalun joined the group of Sansibar Bensio who operates in Panamao, Sulu," she added.

Dalmacio said the shanty was discovered to be a drug den and in its vicinity are three marijuana plantations with an approximate land area of 300 square meters.

"Marine troops uprooted and confiscated more than half-million worth of marijuana plantation and assorted drug paraphernalia found in a drug den," she said.

It can be recalled that Awwalun was the target of the support to law enforcement operations conducted last May 10, 2020 where a 2.2 million (pesos)-worth of marijuana was recovered from his plantation.

 Awwalun managed to escape. Having the idea that he might be the target of the usual patrols, he initiated to fire at the troops, Dalmacio added.

Lt. Col Allan Angelo Tolentino, Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 Commanding Officer,  said the 4th Marine Brigade and its three battalions including MBLT-8 heightened its security due to the recent bombing in Jolo and a threat that suicide bombing will be perpetrated in the 2nd district of Sulu.

Tolentino said the military intensified checkpoints and security patrols are conductedto pre-empt atrocities.

"We call for the full and continuous cooperation of the community by reporting to the authorities any suspected individuals operating in your barangay. The security sector encourages collaboration and assistance from all the residents especially from the Barangay Local Government Units (BLGU) to prevent and stop drug proliferation in our respective areas," he said.

"We should be concerned with the future of our children. Let us always remember that peace, security and progress can be attained only through whole of the nation approach," he added. Robina Asido/DMS