Cop slain in operation vs gunrunners in Maguindanao

An anti-narcotics operative conducts accounting of illegal stuff seized from a drug dealer in Wao, Lanao del Sur on Friday. —PDEA-BARMM

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — A police informant was killed by suspected gunrunners during a buy-bust operation in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao del Norte on Friday.

Lt. Col. Esmael Madin, Sultan Kudarat police chief, said an informant had just successfully procured firearms from a group of gunrunners in Barangay Ungap in Sultan Kudarat town when he was shot.

Madin said the suspect had killed Datudido Kamad Mamaluba who was instrumental in the supposed successful entrapment operation at 7 p.m. on Friday.

READ: Shabu worth P3.4M seized from Cotabato City suspect

Madin said Mamaluba managed to acquire two M14 assault rifles and a caliber .22 rifle from the suspects during a sale transaction in Barangay Ungap.

But the suspects, who are still unidentified, sensed that they sold the unlicensed guns to an undercover agent hence fired bullets at Mamaluba then fled.

A manhunt had been launched against the group of gun smugglers with the help of Philippine Marines soldiers in the town.

In Lanao del Sur, anti-narcotics agents seized P6.8 million worth of meth and arrested suspected drug dealer Alimar Matalicop, 40, during an entrapment operation in Barangay Western, Wao town on Friday.

The operation was launched with the help of soldiers from the Army’s 55th Infantry Battalion.

Seized from Metalicop was a kilo of meth, said Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Gil Cesario Castro.