A SUSPECTED drug suspect was neutralized, while his cohort was arrested by authorities during a surveillance operation that turned into an armed encounter in Angeles City on Friday, September 3 2021.

According to Police Regional Office-Central Luzon Director Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, operatives of Angeles City police conducted a surveillance operation upon receiving information that an illegal drug trade would happen in Barangay Sta. Teresita in Angeles City on Friday afternoon.

During the operation, De Leon said an unidentified person suddenly fired gunshots toward the surveilling team and sped off.

"A hot pursuit from the operating team then ensued but gunman who was onboard a vehicle managed to elude the arrest," he added.

Police then immediately launched a manhunt operation that resulted in the discovery of the abandoned getaway vehicle in Barangay Lourdes Sur East with one of the suspects found inside wounded.

Meanwhile, De Leon said another unidentified lifeless body of a male suspect was found 100 meters away from the abandoned vehicle.

Recovered pieces of evidence from the abandoned vehicle were a black sling bag containing a gun with ammunition, a sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and other personal belongings.

The dead suspect also yielded a gun with ammunition and two sachets of suspected shabu.

Moreover, seized from the possession of an unidentified dead body were one .45 caliber Armscor pistol with no serial number and with a magazine loaded with five live ammunition and two pieces of small transparent sachets containing suspected shabu.

Valeriano said a follow-up operation is being set to locate the whereabouts of two other suspects who were able to elude arrest.