SAMAL, Bataan — A suspected drug trader was slain in an armed encounter with police during a buy-bust operation at a waiting shed in an upland village in the area at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Samal police chief, Chief Insp. Emelito dela Cruz, said Vincent del Rosario of Sapa, Samal, died when he tried to fight it out with police after selling one small sachet of “shabu” (crystal meth) to a poseur buyer in Sitio Adamson, Barangay Gugo here.
Dela Cruz said the victim apparently sensed that he was dealing with a police operative and took his handgun from a black shoulder bag and fired but missed.
The police operative returned fire that resulted in del Rosario’s death, the police chief said.
Recovered from the scene were a Caliber .38 revolver with four live bullets, a fired cartridge and a black shoulder bag containing a marked PHP1,000 bill, nine small sachets containing suspected shabu and some cash. (Ernie Esconde/PNA)
