3 drug suspects slain in ‘shootout’ with Nueva Ecija cops

CABANATUAN CITY—Three suspected drug pushers were killed in anti-narcotics operations in Nueva Ecija over the weekend, police said.

One of the slain suspects, Richard Enriquez of Barangay Caalibangbangan in this city, resisted arrest and engaged the lawmen in a shootout during a buy-bust operation around 5 p.m in Barangay Talipapa, investigators said.

Lt. Col. Julius Ceazar Manucdoc, city police chief, said Enriquez was on their watch list. He said the police recovered from the suspect 8.06 grams of “shabu” (crystal meth) worth P55,000 and a handgun.

In another operation, police said Tommy Sagun, 48, of Barangay San Juan in Aliaga town, fired a handgun when he was being arrested at Barangay Concepcion in Zaragoza town.

Sagun was allegedly caught Saturday evening selling shabu to an undercover agent. This prompted the policemen to fight back, killing the suspect in the process, said Major Jaime Ferrer, municipal police chief.

Forensic investigators seized from Sagun a .38-caliber revolver and 10 sachets of shabu worth P3,400.

Two hours later, a drug suspect, Edward de Belen, was also killed during an exchange of gunfire with police operatives.

The police recovered from the suspect some 150 grams of shabu worth about P1 million.

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