TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A 31-year old municipal councillor of Pasil town was arrested by combined police operatives and anti-narcotics agents after having found in his possession alleged illegal drugs, firearms and several rounds of ammunition during a drug buy bust operation at Dagupan, here, Sunday.
Police authorities identified the arrested high value target as Dexter Gayawet Batalao, 31, single, municipal councillor of Pasil and temporarily residing at Pantal, Brookside, Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga.
Records show that Batalao previously surrendered on July 16, 2016 during the Oplan Tokhang. However, he did not stop in his illegal drugs trade thus, considered High Value Target(HVT)and a subject of police operation.
On April 8, 2018 at around 2:30 a.m, joint operatives of Provincial Intelligence Branch, Kalinga Drug Enforcement Unit, TAbuk City Police Station, Pasil Municipal Police Station, Regional Intelligence Division and Regional Intelligence Unit 14 conducted the above operation leading to his arrest.
During the operation, Batalao tried to escape from the operatives on board his colored black Mitsubishi Galant vehicle together with the P1,000.00 buy bust money upon sensing that he was transacting with an operative but he was immediately intercepted by the members of Tabuk City SWAT Team at Appas, Tabuk City who were then staging a checkpoint.
Confiscated during the operation were the buy bust money amounting to P1,000.00; One heat sealed plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu.
Further search inside his vehicle yielded One (1) unit Ingram machine pistol with inserted magazine and silencer accessory; Six (6) rounds for cal.45; Forty four (44) rounds for cal. 9mm; 2 pieces lighter and improvised totter.
Subsequently, joint personnel of PIB/PDEU, RID, RIU14, CIDG, Tabuk CPS and KPFMC implemented the Search Warrant against the same suspect at his temporary residence for Violation of RA 9165. The search resulted in the confiscation of four more heat sealed transparent sachet containing white crystalline substance believe to be shabu; Crumpled aluminum foil and other drug paraphernalia; 1 long magazine for Ingram machine pistol with 31 rounds for 9mm and 1 round for .45 caliber.
All confiscated items were turned-over to the Kalinga Provincial Crime Laboratory Office while the suspect was brought to Tabuk City Police Station for safe keeping while documents for filing of appropriate charges are being prepared by personnel of Kalinga Police Provincial Office.
By Dexter A. See
