ILOILO CITY — A composite police force in Western Visayas arrested on Monday morning the younger brother of slain alleged Western Visayas drug lord Melvin Odicta.
Police operatives shot dead an alleged associate of Odicta who fired at the policemen during a raid at the Odicta compound in Tanza-Esperanza village here, according to Senior Supt. Marlon Tayaba, Iloilo provincial director.
Operatives arrested Barangay Captain Noel “Nene” Odicta, younger brother of Melvin, and three others for illegal possession of firearms.
Police shot dead Andrew Altas, who allegedly fired at the policemen who raided the compound. Recovered from Odicta’s house was a.45 caliber pistol and a grenade.
Noel Odicta, who acted as spokesperson of the Odicta family after his brother was gunned down, has repeatedly denied involvement in illegal drugs.
Unidentified gunmen gunned down Odicta along with his wife Merriam on August 29, 2016 shortly after they disembarked from a passenger ship at the Caticlan port in Malay town in Aklan. The case remained unsolved.
READ: Melvin Odicta’s death puzzles lawyer
Noel earlier said they are interested in pursuing the case against the couple’s killers as their family wants to moved on and be at peace.
Tayaba identified Altas as a close associate of the slain Odicta who reportedly continued the operations of the drug group after Odicta was killed. /ee