Police say drug suspects killed in Taptap could be part of big-time drug group  

An agent checks the packs of suspected shabu recovered in an operation that led to the killing of three suspects in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City late Thursday night, June 10, 2021. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The head of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) here said they received reports that the three suspects who were killed in a joint operation late Thursday night, June 10, 2021, in Barangay Taptap were members of a big-time drug group.

As of this posting, authorities are still working to identify the three men who were killed in a shootout with police in this mountain village of Cebu City. Ten kilos of suspected shabu, with an estimated value of P68 million, were recovered from the suspects, who were on board a black sedan.

The PDEG conducted the operation in coordination with the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 7 (PDEA-7), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 7 (CIDG-7) and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG).

Police Brigadier General Remus Medina, the chief of the PDEG in Central Visayas, said they received reports that these three were members of a big-time drug group and were under surveillance for a month.

READ: IN PHOTOS: Estimated P70M worth of drugs seized in Taptap, Cebu City

He noted that upon confiscating the pieces of evidence from the suspects, they found sachets of peppercorn placed together with the packs of ‘shabu’. 

“Siguro, plano nila is to evade na possible na madetect ng drug sniffing dogs natin, kaya nilagyan nila ng mga paminta,” he said.

(Maybe their plan was to evade possible detection by our drug sniffing dogs that’s why they placed peppercorn.) 

Medina also said that based on the markings found from the sachets of ‘shabu’, the items  may have come from abroad. 

“Based on the markings na nakikita natin, may mga Chinese characters ulit ang packaging so sure tayo na galing sa labas,” he said. 

(Based on the markings we saw, there were Chinese characters again so we’re sure these came from abroad.)

Medina said the buy-bust operation actually started in Campo 4 in Talisay City. After the suspects sensed that they were transacting with operatives, they immediately left the area. 

The PDEG then coordinated with the CIDG, HPG, and CCPO to catch the vehicle, which was a black Toyota Vios. 

Personnel from HPG caught up with the vehicle and ordered the driver to stop after they were cornered in Barangay Taptap but they refused, leading to the armed encounter. 

Medina said the three suspects died on the spot after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. No one from the police were injured. 

One of the suspects killed in an anti drug operation late Thursday night, June 10, 2021, in Barangay Taptap, Cebu City. Authorities were able to recover 10 kilos of suspected shabu with a value of almost P70 million. | contributed photo

As of this posting, operatives are still conducting further investigation to find the possible cohorts of the slain suspects and the possible source of the recovered illegal drugs.

Medina considers this joint operation as a big accomplishment in their campaign against illegal drugs.

/bmjo