Drug ‘courier,’ 3 others dead in Laguna

SAN PEDRO CITY – Four more people, one of them an alleged courier of a big-time drug lord from Quezon province, were killed as “intensified” operations against drugs continued in Laguna, a police official said.

Senior Supt. Eleazar Matta,  Laguna police director, said in a text message, that the suspect identified only as alias Brix, was killed around 4 a.m. Wednesday in San Pablo City.

He said the suspect was first to fire shots at undercover policemen during a buy-bust operation along the Maharlika highway in Barangay San Antonio.

Matta said the suspect served as a “courier” for jailed drug lord Vitto Cruz. Police said Cruz is detained at the Bicutan City Jail in Metro Manila but his operations had continued through his couriers.

Meanwhile, suspects Arjay Galvan and Ade Abellada died in a shootout while their companion, Oscar Suazo, was arrested in Barangay Uwisan, Calamba City around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The suspects were included in the police watchlist for drugs.

According to the report, Galvan first fired shots as Abellada tried to escape also by firing his gun.

Still in Calamba City, another alleged member of the Fajardo kidnap-for-ransom group identified as Ronald Bestre  was killed in an anti-drug operation around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Turbina.

The police recovered from him about five grams of suspected shabu (crystal meth) and an Uzi gun.

The operation was an offshoot of an earlier operation Tuesday afternoon against members of the said group that left Dennis Guilas dead in Barangay Bucal.