MATI CITY -- Two suspected shabu dealers here eluded arrest on Thursday after being alerted by approaching authorities because of closed-circuit television cameras installed outside their residence.
Joint elements of the Davao Oriental Police Office, Mati City Police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency swooped down the residence of the two suspects identified as Angelito Pan alias Lito Pan, 39, a resident of Liberty Beach in Barangay Central; and Arnaldo Balucanag, 28, a resident of Barangay Magsaysay.
Police raided the houses of the two suspects around 5:30 a.m. on August 12 by virtue of the search warrants issued by Judge Jordan Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 5 in Mati City.
Recovered at Pan's house were the following: one heat-sealed plastic containing suspected shabu, one plastic receptacle containing aluminum foil and assorted paraphernalia, one piece wrap paper containing dried marijuana leaves, four pieces aluminum foil, seven disposable lighters, five thousand peso cash, one home-made .38 caliber revolver with 6 live ammos, one homemade .22 caliber pistol, three knives, four pieces tooters, two pieces plastic funnel, six improvised needles, one magazine of a .45 caliber pistol, nine sachets with shabu residues, one DVD Player, one TV monitor, and one surveillance camera.
Balucanag's house, meanwhile, yielded one plastic containing shabu, tooters, gas lamp, lighters, one clip of 7.62 caliber cartridges and scissors.
Police said the suspects eluded arrest during the course of implementation of the search warrants as they earlier monitored the activities outside their house from a closed-circuit television camera.
Authorities are still conducting follow-up operations against the suspects. (Ben O. Tesiorna)