Trike driver, student arrested for gun, drugs

MANILA, Philippines — A tricycle driver and a student were arrested on Sunday by operatives of the Northern Police District (NPD) Special Operations Unit after they were allegedly found to be carrying a homemade gun, “shabu” (crystal meth) and marijuana leaves.

The police were conducting surveillance on Kaagapay Road in Caloocan City when they found Nestor Beruico Jr., 24, and Earnest Ledda, 20, supposedly “picking  something” on the ground.

The NPD operatives became suspicious, however, when they noticed the handle of a gun protruding from Ledda’s shirt.

When confronted, the suspects reportedly yielded a “sumpak” or an improvised shotgun, along with four sachets of shabu that the police said had a street value of around P30,000.

The policemen also found in the suspects’ motorcycle three plastic sachets containing suspected dried marijuana leaves with an estimated value of P500.

The suspects were brought to the NPD office for investigation, while the drugs were turned over to the Crime Laboratory Office in Caloocan City for tests, the police said. —Meg Adonis