2 caught repacking shabu resist arrest, killed in clash with cops

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two men, who were subjects of police surveillance and an anti-narcotics campaign, Oplan Tokhang, were killed in what the police claimed was a shootout on Monday morning.

Marlon Racal and Darius Cuizon were among the alleged pushers who did not heed the appeal of the police to surrender and change their ways under  Oplan Tokhang, said Senior Insp. Regino Maramag, chief of police of Mambaling Police Station.

On Monday morning, Maramag said the two were caught repacking shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) by  policemen in plain clothes inside a house in Sitio Lawis, Barangay Alaska, in Cebu City.

He said that Racal and Cuizon had been under surveillance for more than a week after they were tagged as level 2 drug pushers who could each dispose 50 grams of shabu per week.

The police, he added, received a tip that the two were  repacking shabu inside the house. They immediately sent a team to the area.

Maramag said that when they noticed that there were policemen in the area, they fired at them prompting the authorities to return fire.

Less than a minute later, Maramag said Racal and Cuizon fell to the floor.

Maramag said the two were declared dead on arrival at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

Recovered from their possession were a .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber pistol, one large pack and four small packs of shabu worth P60,000 and drug paraphernalia.  SFM/rga