ILOILO CITY – A drug-bust operation in Barangay Santo Rosario in Buenavista, Guimaras resulted in the death of a drug suspect Sunday night.
Jose Solon, 56, succumbed to three gunshot wounds, said Senior Insp. Kennith Bermejo, team leader of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit in Western Visayas (RDEU-6).
Joint operatives of the RDEU-6 and the Municipal Police Station (MPS) of Buenavista, Guimaras Police Provincial Office, and the Provincial DEU conducted the buy-bust operation at around 8:25 p.m.
Bermejo said the suspect tried to shoot an undercover police officer with a gun hidden under a pillow when the police declared the arrest.
The bullet hit the floor after police officer managed to shove the gun.
Solon reportedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu (crystal meth) to the undercover officer for PHP500.
Bermejo said they recovered four more sachets of suspected shabu worth about PHP5,000 and a caliber .45 pistol with five live ammunition and one fired cartridge case.
Solon was listed as level 2 high-value target by the RDEU-6. He was identified as the downline of suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr.
Bermejo said Solon, known as “Tatang Joe” in the drug trade, slowed down his operations after Odicta died two years ago. Later, police authorities monitored that he resumed selling illegal drugs.
Police suspects that Solon sourced his illegal drug supplies from the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo. (/PNA)
