Three suspected drug traffickers were killed in a shootout with operatives of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) during a buy-bust operation that went haywire at a gas station in Brgy. Socorro, Quezon City, the police reported.
The operation, conduct Tuesday afternoon, resulted in the recovery of an estimated ₱68 million worth of shabu.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PDEG spokesperson Lt. Marlon Sy said the suspects “who were neutralized,” consisted of “high-value targets” identified only as alias Jason, 23, alias Milo, 55, and alias Cal. A fourth suspect managed to escape, while a police officer and an informant were wounded.
“The suspects are on the target list, in the intelligence packet. They were under surveillance since August and now the transaction prospered. Alias Jason, one of the suspects who died, was a suspended security guard. Another suspect bore a resemblance to an arrested suspect in 2017. He was the leader of the Limjoco robbery group),” Sy said.
He said the PDEG seized 10 bricks of suspected shabu, three firearms (.45 and .38 calibers) loaded with live ammunition, PHP1,000 and boodle money used in the buy-bust, two cellular phones, a white sack, and a brown carton box.
He also said the suspects tried double crossing the poseur buyer, resulting in the shootout.
“The suspects saw the money during the transaction and they planned on swindling their buyer. So one of the leaders opened fire, triggering a shootout,” he explained.
“They were thinking of taking back the items since they would kill the buyer anyway. In the process, they would walk away getting both the suspected illegal drugs and the buy-bust money,” he added. Rex Espiritu
Despite the shootout, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño stressed that they keep their anti-narcotics drive bloodless as much as possible.
“But when the lives and security of our PDEG members, our operatives, are in danger, we will not let our police officers die in the performance of their duties,” he stressed.
