Alleged ‘shabu’ peddler slain in Lucena drug sting

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Police killed a suspected “shabu” seller in a buy-bust operation here Saturday night, authorities said.

Suspect Joselito Leandelar, 37, was killed when he reportedly resisted arrest after he sold shabu to an undercover policeman in Barangay (village) Mayao Crossing at about 6:20 p.m., Police Lt. Col. Reyndate Ariza, Lucena police chief said in a report Sunday.

A report said that as a police agent was about to arrest Leandelar after the transaction, the suspect struggled and consequently pulled out a caliber .38 revolver and shot the approaching back-up policemen but missed.

Another policeman fired back and killed the suspect on the spot.

Authorities recovered the handgun from the slain suspect and 10 plastic sachets of shabu weighing 2.5 grams with a street price of P12,500.

Police said the suspect was a notorious pusher in the village. /cbb