CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija — Two suspected drug peddlers were arrested in separate buy-bust operations on Saturday by operatives of the Nueva Ecija Police’s Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CIDT) as part of the continuing campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes in the province.
The suspects were identified as Toby John Gutierrez, 33, single and resident of Barangay DS Garcia, this city; and Ron Cordero, 39, of Barangay Umangan, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.
Reports from the office of Nueva Ecija Police Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel showed that Gutierrez was caught while selling one heat-sealed sachet of suspected shabu to a policeman who pretended to be a buyer by using a marked PHP500 bill at about 11:15 p.m. in Barangay DS Garcia.
When searched, the suspect yielded another sachet of shabu, improvised toother, seven disposable lighters, two pieces of alcohol or acetone lamp, two rolls of aluminum foil, four scissors and other paraphernalia.
The operatives also seized from Gutierrez PHP400 of different denominations, and a mobile phone which was placed under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CIDT) for proper disposition, police said.
Meanwhile, Cordero was arrested while in possession of one sachet of shabu and PHP500 buy-bust money at around 5:40 p.m. in Barangay Umangan, Aliaga.
PO2 Francis Tagudin, investigator, said that the pieces of evidence recovered from Cordero were subjected to inventory in the presence of barangay officials and media representatives.
They were turned over to the Nueve Ecija Police Crime Laboratory Office (NEPCLO) for testing, he said.
The suspect was detained at the town police’s facility.
In Quezon town, Felix Valerio, 51, married and resident of Barangay San Alejando was gunned down by two unidentified persons wearing helmet and black jacket on board an unmarked single motorcycle at about 4 p.m. Saturday, according to PO3 Nickdeo Pastor, investigator.
Pastor said the victim was No. 1 in police’s priority target on illegal drugs.
Police have yet to establish the identities of the gunmen as well as their motive. PNA-northboundasia.com