Nigerian killed, P13.6M shabu seized
PHILIPPINE National Police chief, General Debold M. Sinas yesterday announced the neutralization of a West African drug syndicate operating in the country following an anti-narcotics operation in Tarlac on New Year’s Eve which led to the killing of an armed Nigerian national and the seizure of two kilograms of shabu worth P13.6 million.
“Our campaign against illegal drugs is so serious that we have been connecting the dots to establish links of the drug syndicates so that we could burn their illegal plans outright,” said Sinas as he commended agents of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Ronald O. Lee for their string of successful operations against ‘high-value targets’ in the country, the latest of which led to the shootout in Concepcion, Tarlac.
Sinas bared that undercover officers of the PNP-DEG were about to arrest suspect Gabriel Onyechefula after he sold the drugs at the parking lot of a videoke bar in Bgy. Jefmin, Concepcion at 1 a.m. last Thursday when the Nigerian pulled out a machine pistol and tried to shoot the poseur prompting back-up officers to return fire.
The suspect suffered a gunshot wound in the abdomen and died on the spot. Recovered from him were three knot-tied plastic bags containing two kilos of the prohibited drugs worth P13.6 million, the boodle money topped by two marked P1,000 bills and a caliber 9mm machine pistol with a magazine containing several live ammunition.
Lee said they hatched the operation to get the Nigerian and his local contact known only as ‘Kingsley.’ The latter is still being hunted as of prss time.
The police official said the suspects are known for their involvement in shabu trafficking and cocaine in the country where they have gained notoriety for hiring Filipinos as drug ‘mules.’
Members of the PNP-DEG Special Operations Units 1,2 and 8 coordinated their operation with the Concepcion Municipal Police Station and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the official said.
In his report to Police Regional Office 3 director Brig. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, Tarlac police director Col. Reynante Cabico said the operation was conducted by joint operatives of the PDEG-SOU 8, SOU2, SOU1, RID3, Concepcion police, Tarlac PPO, RIU3, AKG and PDEA under the supervision of Lee.
“Thru our revitalized drug campaign in line with the directives of PNP Chief Gen. Debold Sinas, all police units are working closely together to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs not just in the region but the entire country and we appeal to everyone to continue helping us in our campaign against illegal drugs in order to make our country drug-free,” added De Leon.
Meanwhile, De Leon revealed that the relentless campaign of the Central Luzon police in support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order Number 70 to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) paid off once again as another former CPP-NPA member surrendered to authorities last December 31.
De Leon said one alias Katrin or Ka Princes, an Aeta and former member of the Tarlac, Zambales Command (KLG TARZAM) from Bgy. Sapang Bato, Angeles City surrendered to joint personnel of Police Station 5, City Mobile Force Company, City Intelligence Unit, 72nd MICO, 7th MIB and 7th ID.
The top cop of Central Luzon vowed that the PRO3 together with all member agencies of the RTF-ELCAC 3 will continue the whole of sector approach against communist terrorist to achieve peace and national unity which is also in line with directives of General Sinas. With Mario Supnad and Bernard Galang
