Zamboanga City (Image from Google Maps)
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines 鈥� A suspected drug courier from Sulu was killed and a police officer was wounded in a shootout during a buy-bust operation on Friday night in a Barangay Maasin here, a coastal village some 13 kilometers from the city center.
The police conducted the operation with some Army soldiers, according to Lt. Leah May Alameda, spokesperson of the .
Patrolman Ronevil Batal posed as a buyer of crystal meth, locally known as shabu, from a certain Puruti J. Taraji, also known as Bosing, of Barangay Laum, Maimbung, Sulu.
The transaction took place in a drug supposedly operated by Taraji in Sitio Caragasan of Barangay Maasin.
As the sale was completed, Batal was about to arrest Taraji when the latter drew a gun and shot the police officer, Alameda said.
This prompted the other operatives to shoot Taraji who died on the spot.
Taraji鈥檚 two companions rushed towards a motorized boat and fled, firing upon the law enforcers to prevent a pursuit.
Batal suffered a wound on his head and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Seized from Taraji were four kilos of meth contained in boxes labeled as green tea and a 9-mm caliber gun.
Alameda estimated the meth to be valued at P27.2 million.
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