Suspected drug pusher killed, 10 nabbed in Lucena buy-busts

LUCENA CITY – An alleged drug pusher was killed and ten others were arrested in twin buy-bust operations here early Sunday.

Quezon police director Senior Supt. Osmundo de Guzman in a report said Lucena police chief Supt. Romulo Albacea, acting on information from concerned citizens, organized the local drug enforcement unit for an operation in Purok (zone) 2 Bangkusay in Barangay (village) Dalahican around 6 a.m.

Drug pushers George Marcon and Manuel Magpantay sold a plastic sachet of crystal meth or shabu to an operative who posed as a buyer. After the transaction, the suspects sensed that the buyer was an undercover policeman and immediately drew a firearm and shot at the police officer but missed.

The duo escaped by jumping out of the window but Marcon was eventually hit by pursuing policemen and died on the spot. Police recovered a caliber .38 revolver with bullets from the slain suspect.

Policemen also nabbed suspected drug pushers Mary Ann Magpantay, Jomar Bautista, Jhomark Rima, Renato Tianela, Benji Leona, and Edgar Arcilla.

Authorities recovered several sachets of shabu and drug-sniffing paraphernalia.

De Guzman said the place has been the subject of several tips from concerned citizens as host to a shabu “tiangge” (flea market) and drug den.

“The information was coursed through several text messages to police hotlines,” De Guzman said in a phone interview.

Anti-illegal drugs operatives also busted Noriel Baluyot, Mary Rose Lagsit, Jeffrey de Dios, and Remel Domiriz in another buy-bust operation in Barangay Cotta around 7:15 a.m. Authorities seized 1.52 grams of shabu and drug-sniffing paraphernalia from the suspects. /je