Alleged drug pusher killed, 3 arrested in Lucena busts

LUCENA CITY – An alleged drug pusher was killed and three others were arrested in separate buy bust operations in Lucena City early Friday, police said.

Supt. Romulo Albacaea, Lucena police chief, said Norberto Pañoso was shot dead by police officers after he tried to shoot an undercover police officer in Barangay (village) Market View at around 1:10 a.m.

Prior to the shooting incident, police said Pañoso allegedly sold shabu (crystal meth) to an undercover police officer during the bust.

As he was about to be arrested, police said Pañoso reportedly drew out a gun tucked at his back and tried to shoot the arresting officer. Police said Pañoso missed, forcing the arresting officer to shoot him dead.

Two hours later, Meynard Volpane, was arrested by policemen in another sting operation in the same village.

Volpane, police said, was included in drug watch list and yielded nine plastic sachets of shabu with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P1,110.

Later, suspected drug pushers Archie Garcia and Adrian Albina, were also arrested in a bust in the same village. Authorities seized six plastic sachets of shabu with an estimated DDB value of P2,775 from the two suspects.

Police said Garcia and Albina earlier surrendered to police, but decided to return to peddling shabu.

Albacea said the busts are part of  “Oplan Salikop” which aims to stop the resurgence of village-level drug trafficking by arresting the remaining drug pushers operating in the city. /muf