Guns and drugs seized from the slain suspects. Contributed photo
SANTA ROSA, Nueva Ecija – Two suspected peddlers of illegal drugs were killed while P270,000 worth of shabu was seized in a buy–bust operation in Barangay Soledad here at about 3:25 a.m. Sunday.
Lt. Col. Alexie Desamito, head of the Nueva Ecija police’s drug enforcement unit, identified one of the suspects as Manny de Guzman, a resident of San Rafael, Bulacan. The other fatality has yet to be identified, she said.
In her report to Nueva Ecija police director Col. Jaime Santos, Desamito said the suspects “initiated” the firefight when operatives tried to arrest them for selling drugs to undercover operatives.
The suspects sustained fatal wounds as responding operatives had to “defend themselves and return fire,” she said.
Besides the 11 sachets of suspected shabu, with estimated volume of 35 to 40 grams, forensic investigators also seized from the duo their .38 revolvers and two dusted P500 bills.