Suspected drug pusher hurt, 3 arrested in Lucena buy-busts

LUCENA CITY — A suspected drug pusher was wounded in an alleged shootout after he resisted arrest while three notorious “shabu” (crystal meth) distributors in Lucena City were arrested in buy-bust operations on Thursday and Friday, police said.

Lucena police chief Supt. Romulo Albacea said Ruel Mendoza resisted arrest after he sold shabu to an undercover police officer in Barangay (village) 4 around 5:10 a.m. Friday.

Police said Mendoza pushed the arresting officer, drew his caliber .38 revolver, and then fired at the policeman but the firearm jammed.

Mendoza ran away and tried to fire his gun towards the policemen but the weapon continued to malfunction until one of the pursuing cops shot and hit the suspect’s buttock. He was rushed to Quezon Medical Center for treatment.

The suspect yielded one plastic sachet containing 0.5 gram of shabu.

In another operation, a drug enforcement unit collared Benedick Endrinal, Enrique Ciar, and Loida Ciar after the three sold shabu to a police agent in Pleasantville Subdivision in Barangay Ilayang Iyam around 1:00 p.m. Thursday, Senior Supt. Osmundo de Guzman, Quezon police chief, said in separate report.

Authorities seized from the suspects 14 plastic sachets of shabu weighing a total of 65 grams, which was valued at P120,250 based on Dangerous Drugs Board estimates. However, the confiscated shabu was said to be worth P325,000 in the street market at P5,000 per gram. /kga