MANILA, Philippines — Authorities seized P23 million worth of illegal drugs in separate operations on Friday in Zamboanga City in Mindanao, and in Kalinga province last Thursday in Luzon.

Operatives from the Philippine National Police- Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) confiscated two kilos of suspected shabu worth P13, 600,000 from a 37-year-old suspect in the city's San Jose Gusu village.

Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta, PNP-DEG director, said composite units from the PNP led by the Zamboanga City DEG nabbed the suspected high-value target (HVT), whose identity was being withheld.

"This accomplishment demonstrates our commitment to combating illegal activities and ensuring our community's safety," Matta said.

Aside from the supposed illegal drug, the suspect yielded pieces of non-drug evidence, which were brought to the headquarters of the PNP DEG-Special Operations Unit 9 for documentation and proper disposition.

Meanwhile the suspect was brought to the city' Police Station 11 for his temporary detention.

In Luzon's Kalinga province, PNP-DEG operatives swooped down on the target area in Barangay (village) Nambaran, Tabuk City and uprooted and destroyed 52,000 fully grown marijuana plants worth P10,400,000 at about 11a.m. last Thursday.

Matta said the marijuana plants were concealed in a 5,200 square-meter farm on the ridges of Brgy. Nambaran.

However, during the operation, the owner of the marijuana plantation eluded arrest.