Ex-town councilor nabbed, P177K shabu seized in Agusan Sur

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur – Police authorities on Thursday arrested a former town councilor of Bunawan during an anti-drug raid that also yielded P177,000 worth of shabu.

The raid on the house of Leonardo Barrios Jr., a son of former mayor Leonardo Sr., was considered the second major haul of shabu in Bunawan by the police in a span of one week.

Last week, police operatives also raided a house in Barangay Consuelo in Bunawan and seized nine bags of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth P4.8 million.

Senior Supt. Joseph Plaza, the Agusan del Sur police director, said Barrios was considered a high-value target and was on the police’s drug watchlist.

He said police have been preparing charges for violation of the anti-drug law against the former town councilor while the 15 grams of shabu seized from him had been sent to the Caraga regional police office in Butuan City for safekeeping.

In Iligan City, police and Army operatives shot dead a drug suspect, who reportedly fired on them as they were conducting the Oplan Double Barrel in Barangay Saray on Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Jasper Ian Pasco of the Iligan City police’s station 5, said while a combined team of policemen and soldiers were conducting house visitations in Saray, Alexander Cortega suddenly emerged and fired at them before fleeing.

Pasco said the anti-drug operatives eventually killed Cortega after a short chase.

In Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte, authorities also shot dead a suspected drug trader during a buy-bust operation on Tuesday.

Adrian Alvariño, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Northern Mindanao, identified the slain suspect as Ismael Maatuan, who allegedly fired on approaching operatives.

Recovered from Matuan’s possession were an Ultimax shotgun, an M-16 rifle, cash and about 20 grams of suspected shabu.  SFM