At least three suspects were killed in a series of operations while 53 others were arrested in Bulacan and Leyte this week as authorities continued their crackdown on the illegal drug trade.
Bulacan Provincial Police director Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. said they killed three and arrested 48 in “one big time operation” in Angat, Bocaue, Bulacan, Baliwag, Bustos, Calumpit, Guiguinto, Malolos City, Marialo, Meycauayan, Sta. Maria, San Miguel, Norzagaray, Pandi, Paombong, Plaridel, Pulilan, and City of San Jose Del Monte.
These operations were implemented by virtue of 24 search warrants issued by different local courts.
“A total of 170 pieces of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu, six firearms, 18 ammunitions and four units of undocumented motorcycles and other drug paraphernalia were confiscated,” Caramat said.
Meanwhile, in Leyte, a buy-bust operation conducted by the Region 8 office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday resulted in the arrest of five people including a guard of a sub-provincial jail facility.
Director Laurefel P. Gabales led the operation on Diversion Road, Pawing, Palo, Leyte. Arrested were Renato Saratan, Caesar Quijano, Evelyn Suarez, Ronilo Ruiz, and Kevin Mark Kapas. Saratan works at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail.
Taken from the suspects were two plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, weighing approximately 623 grams and with an estimated market value of P4.9 million. Various drug paraphernalia were also seized from the suspects.