(Photo courtesy of Cavite PPO)
MANILA – Two drug suspects were killed while two others were arrested in separate operations in Cavite on Thursday night that yielded around PHP1.5 billion worth of shabu.
In a report on Friday, Brig. Gen. Remus Medina, chief of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), said suspects Basher Bangon and Danilo Untavar, were killed during the buy-bust in Springville Executive 1, Barangay Molino 3, Bacoor City at around 9:30 p.m.
Seized from the operation were 181 kilograms of shabu worth PHP1.25 billion.
Bangon, who is a top-level drug personality, had direct contact with a Chinese drug syndicate and is mainly operating in areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Meanwhile, suspects Lani Micoleta and Aldwin Micoleta were arrested in a separate operation in Barangay Magdalo, Bahayang Pag-Asa, Imus, City at 9:15 p.m.
The suspects yielded more or less 48 kilos of shabu valued at PHP331.2 million. They are among cohorts of Bangon and are known distributors of illegal drugs in Metro Manila and Calabarzon.
The suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The buy-bust operation was made possible through the coordination among PNP, PDEA, BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service of the Intelligence Group (CIIS-IG), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and local police officers.
In a statement, PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the two police operations were part of the follow-up operations in Zambales and Bataan on Tuesday, which resulted in the confiscation of close to PHP4 billion worth of shabu.
The operations resulted in the death of four Chinese drug suspects and the arrest of three others.
In a statement, PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said these operations are still part of Case Operational Plan "Whisperer" which is supervised by Deputy Director General for Operations Gregorio Pimentel and the agency's Intelligence and Investigation Service.
"We will be relentless in our efforts to suppress the supply of illegal drugs while also sustaining the gains that we have achieved through the Barangay Drug Clearing Program," Villanueva said. (with Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
