A JOINT Bulacan Police Provincial Office (PPO)-Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) anti-narcotics operation this week resulted in the arrest of a 42-year-old ‘high-value target’ and the confiscation of 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million, a Police Regional Office 3 report said yesterday.

Arrested during the buy-bust operation along the Diversion Road in Bgy. Mojon in Malolos City 11:30 p.m. Monday was Alexander de Naga alias ‘Bong,’ a resident of Citiville Homes in Bgy. Tungkong Manga in San Jose del Monte City, said PRO3 director, Brigadier General Valeriano T. de Leon.

The official said members of the Bulacan PPO, Malolos City Police Station and PDEA Bulacan seized two knot-tied plastic bags containing the huge volume of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ valued at P3.4 million and the boodle money topped by a marked P1,000 bill from the suspect.

The arrested ‘HVT’ is now facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

It was the latest anti-drug accomplishment of the Bulacan police headed by Colonel Lawrence B. Cajipe, the official said.

Last Friday and Saturday, two top drug personalities in the province were killed in separate encounters with undercover officers, Cajipe said. He identified the slain suspects as Michael Halili and Raffy Concepcion.

He said Halili was killed in a firefight with undercover officers of the Balagtas Municipal Police Station in Bgy. San Juan while Concepcion was gunned down following a shootout which marred the conduct of a buy-bust operation in Bgy. Tabing-Ilog, Marilao.

Recovered from the possession of the slain suspects were two loaded caliber .38 revolvers, 19 heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu and the marked money they received from two undercover agents.

Cajipe said 52 other drug personalities were arrested in separate anti-narcotics operations conducted by members of the Drug Enforcement Units of the Angat, Balagtas, Baliwag, Bulakan, Calumpit, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Hagonoy, Marilao, Obando, Pandi, Paombong, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael and Santa Maria Municipal Police Stations and the Malolos, San Jose del Monte and Meycauayan City Police Stations.

He said seized from the suspects were 172 plastic sachets containing the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine,’ assorted drug paraphernalia and the marked money paid to them by poseurs.

Cajipe also reported the arrest of 41 wanted persons and 13 others involved in illegal gambling activities in the province on Friday and Saturday.

He said the 41 men who were all the subject of warrants of arrest for various crimes were arrested by tracker teams from the local police. On the other hand, the 13 illegal gambling personalities were apprehended in separate operations in Pandi and Santa Maria towns and in San Jose del Monte City.

The arrested suspects are now facing appropriate criminal charges, Cajipe said.