A FORMER policeman tagged as high value target (HVT) drug personality was killed in an drug bust in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, the police said Friday, November 18.
Zamboanga del Norte Police Director Edwin Wagan identified the slain HVT as Joel Elia, a dismissed policeman of Polanco municipality in that province.
Wagan said Elia was dismissed from the police service in 2004 due to his involvement in illegal activities including illegal drugs.
Wagan said Elia was killed in a shootout during a drug bust around 5:30 a.m. Friday in the village of Obay, Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte.
He said the shootout ensued when Elia resisted the policemen during the conduct of the operation. (Bong Garcia/Sunnex)