3 drug couriers die in shootout in Zambo Norte
- Aug 10, 2016
- 2 min read
POLICEMEN have killed three suspected drug couriers in a shootout along the highway in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, police officials announced Saturday, July 30.
Senior Superintendent Edwin Wagan, Zamboanga del Norte police director, said the shootout took place around 3:50 p.m. Friday along the national highway in the village of Overview, Liloy town.
Wagan identified the slain suspects as follows: Anwar Sawadjaan, 19, Angelo Hofer, 22, and, Noel Rey Bacalzo, all residents of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay province.
He said that prior to the shootout, they received report that suspected drug couriers were travelling aboard a pick-up type Black Nissan with plate number VBL-541 from Dipolog City to Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Wagan said that policemen from the First Manoeuvre Company of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB)-Zamboanga Peninsula have immediately set up a checkpoint in the village of Overview to possibly block the vehicle and to verify the veracity of the report.
The police official said the shootout ensued after the suspects accelerated in high speed and opened fire when the policemen have signalled them to stop as the vehicle was approaching the checkpoint in the area.
He said the policemen returned fire that resulted to the death of Sawadjaan and Bacalso. Hofer was rushed to the Liloy District Hospital for treatment but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Chief Superintendent Billy Beltran, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, disclosed that they had been monitoring the activities of the suspects.
Beltran said the suspects are part of the group, which they consider as a high-value target group.
Ecaldre said two handguns consisting of a calibre .45 pistol and a calibre .38 revolver were recovered from the slain suspects.
He said also recovered were 10 small-sized transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be “shabu” placed in a large transparent plastic, one pack of suspected shabu wrapped with packaging tape, a hand grenade, live ammunition for calibre .45 pistol and calibre .38 revolver, 25 pieces empty shells of calibre 5.56 millimeter and two mobile phones.
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