FOUR drug suspects were killed while two others were arrested when drug enforcers swooped down on the hideout of the Espinosa drug syndicate in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan Wednesday night, the day before another large shabu laboratory was discovered in Pampanga.
But Bulacan provincial police director Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. said the gang’s leader and main target Erick Espinosa escaped during the shootout that happened at around 6:30 p.m. at the Towerville Subdivision in Barangay Minuyan Proper.
Caramat said the four slain suspects were still unidentified at press time but the two arrested suspects were identified as Mark Anthony Lacxa, 22, a resident of Quezon City, and Rene Lloyd Sacdalan, 26, of Caloocan City, according to CSJDM acting city police commander Superintendent Wilson Magpali.
ҬMagpali said the raid also involved agents of the City Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operative Task Group and the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency.
“Upon sensing the ongoing police operation, Espinosa fired his firearm toward the poseur buyer that resulted in a firefight between the suspects and the law enforcers,” Magpali said.
“During the cross fire, a victim, identified as Michelle Seleic, sustained a gunshot wound in her right leg and was rushed to a nearby hospital and was declared out of danger,” Magpali said.
Recovered from the slain and arrested suspects were 3 caliber .38 revolvers, a cal .45 pistol, an improvised handgun, 6 sachets containing suspected shabu, and assorted drug paraphernalia.
In the neighboring province of Pampanga, operatives of PDEA and the Pampanga police also conducted a raid Thursday on the biggest shabu laboratory discovered so far, at the foot of Mount Arayat in Barangay Lacquios in Arayat town.
Pampanga police director Senior Supt. Rodolfo Recomojo Jr. said the shabu laboratory was surrounded by 8 to 10-feet concrete fence, with a hog farm beside it and a melting plant of plastics.
This is the second shabu laboratory overran by authorities in a span of two weeks, he noted.
Seven large hydrogenators and chromatograph machines were found inside the laboratory, which can manufacture 50 to 100 kilograms per day.
Supt. Samuel Sevilla, Arayat police chief, was conducting regular inspection of all industries specifically hog and poultry farms when he and his men discovered a shabu laboratory in nearby Barangay San Ildefonso in Magalang, Pampanga two weeks ago.
He said no one came forward to claim ownership of the property. Three shabu laboratories were found in Angeles City since March, this year.
