Authorities uprooted and burned more than 11,500 fully grown marijuana plants valued at over ₱10 million during a joint anti-illegal drugs operation in Barangay Masjid Punjungan, Kalingalan Caluang, Sulu on March 3, 2026.
Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 9, through its Sulu Provincial Office, led the eradication operation with support from multiple security forces, including the Philippine National Police, elements of the Philippine Army under the 1102nd Infantry Brigade and 21st Infantry Battalion, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Regional Intelligence Unit IX, Naval Intelligence and Security Group–Western Mindanao, and various mobile force units in the province.
The coordinated operation targeted two marijuana plantation sites covering an estimated 3,000 square meters of land. Authorities reported discovering around 11,500 to 11,516 fully grown marijuana plants, with a standard drug value estimated at about ₱9.8 million to ₱10.35 million.
According to authorities, the operation was launched following reports from municipal officials and traditional Tausug community leaders about the presence of a marijuana farm in the area. Acting on the information, anti-drug operatives, police, and soldiers proceeded to the site where they located the plantation hidden in a remote portion of the barangay.
Officials said several individuals believed to be cultivating and guarding the illegal plantation, identified as alias “Toh” and his cohorts, managed to flee after sensing the approaching law enforcement team despite efforts to apprehend them.
Operatives immediately uprooted and burned the marijuana plants on-site to prevent them from being harvested or distributed. The destruction of the crops formed part of the government’s intensified campaign to dismantle marijuana plantation sites in remote areas of Sulu and other parts of Western Mindanao.
Authorities said criminal complaints for violation of Section 16, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared against the suspected cultivators and other individuals involved in the illegal activity. The case will be filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.
Bryan Babang, director of PDEA Regional Office 9, said the successful eradication was made possible through strong coordination among security forces and the support of local leaders who reported the illegal plantation.
Babang also expressed gratitude to officials of the Sulu Provincial Police Office and to Donald Gumiran, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, for their direct support in the anti-narcotics operation.
Authorities emphasized that intensified operations to locate and destroy marijuana farms across Sulu will continue as part of broader efforts to curb illegal drug activities and maintain peace and security in the province.