Senior Supt. Rhodel Sermonia, Bataan police director, led the joint operation composed of various police teams in coordination with the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency.
Police first conducted buybust operation at 9:30 a.m. in the barangay that resulted to the arrest of Omar Anbomin, 45, of Burgos, La Union and Artemio Carreon, 45, of Rosario, La Union who were caught in the act of selling shabu worth P500.
Carreon tried to elude arrest upon sensing the presence of other lawmen and ran towards a makeshift shanty that prompted police to give chase.
Pursuing operatives nabbed Carreon inside the shanty and discovered that eight others were there sniffing shabu, Sermonia said.
Police identified the eight other suspects as Eduardo Macabio, 36; Mario Macabio, 35; Josefino Palanon, 46; Eric Dulay, 35; and Rolando Sarazon, 46; all of San Gabriel and Erwin Espino, 26, of Sto. Tomas; Mark Brian Peralta, 25 of Rosario and Leonardo de Guzman, 37, of Naguiian; all in the province of La Union.
Sermonia said the operation resulted in the confiscation of one M-16 rifle with magazine loaded with 25 live 5.56 ammo, three .45 pistols, all with magazines with seven live ammo each and 17 spare live ammo for .45 pistol.
Also recovered from suspects were seven small heatsealed plastic sachets of crystalline substance believed to be shabu, four small plastic sachets of dried marijuana fruiting tops and several drug paraphernalia, the provincial police chief said.
Sermonia said investigations are ongoing in preparation for the filing of appropriate charges. He lauded the troops behind the successful operation and encouraged them to continue in the relentless fight against illegal drugs.
