Guns, drugs, and money seized as evidence. Contributed photo
GAPAN CITY – Two suspected sellers of illegal drugs were killed in a buy-bust operation hatched by the city police’s drug enforcement unit in Barangay San Roque here Monday night.
City police chief Lt. Col. Alexie Desamito identified the suspects who died instantly in the reported gunfight as Randy Boy Acquiat, 33, of Barangay Panungyan, Mendez town, and Jonathan Ripano, 33, resident of Barangay Esteban, Dasmariñas, both in Cavite.
In her report to Nueva Ecija police director Col. Rhoderick Campo, Desamito said the buy-bust operation “resulted to an armed encounter between the police operatives and the suspects who sustained fatal wounds after initiating a firefight.”
No lawman was hurt in the incident.
Desamito said the anti-drug sting was conducted by a team led by Lt. Roderick Beltran shortly before 7 p.m. Monday in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. They used one genuine and 35 computer-generated P1000 bills as buy-bust money, investigation showed.
Forensic investigators recovered from the encounter scene 15 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 75 grams with an estimated value of P510,000, police said.
Also seized were one .45 pistol with serial number 228030, one Smith and Wesson .38 revolver without serial number, two mobile phones and the buy-bust money.
