A COUNCILOR in Kalinga considered as a high-value target in the drug list of the Police Regional Office Cordillera was collared in a drug bust in Tabuk City.
Pasil town Councilor Dexter Gayawet Batalao was arrested on April 8 by joint operatives of Provincial Intelligence Branch, Kalinga Drug Enforcement Unit, Tabuk City Police Station, Pasil Municipal Police Station, Regional Intelligence Division and Regional Intelligence Unit 14.
Records show Batalao previously surrendered on July 16, 2016 during the Oplan Tokhang but continued his illegal drugs trade.
During the operation, Batalao tried to escape from the operatives on board his black colored vehicle together with the P1,000 drug bust money after sensing he was transacting with an operative.
Batalao was immediately intercepted by the members of Tabuk City SWAT Team at Appas, Tabuk City who were then staging a checkpoint.
Aside from the buy bust money, confiscated from Batalao included one heat sealed plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu.
The town officials also yielded Ingram machine pistol with magazine and silencer accessory, six rounds of ammunition for a cal.45, forty four rounds for a cal. 9mm, two pieces of lighter and an improvised tooter.
Police also conducted a search warrant in his residence in Tabuk City which resulted to the confiscation of four more heat sealed transparent sachet containing shabu, crumpled aluminum foil and other drug paraphernalia, a Ingram machine pistol magazine with 31 rounds of 9mm pistol, and a round for a caliber .45.