PANGASINAN – Police authorities arrested a dismissed member of the Philippine Army for his alleged involvement in illegal drugs trade on Wednesday at the Brgy. San Leon, Umingan in this province.
The Pangasinan police said the suspect, Mark Christian Velo, 40, was a high value individual priority target for being a member of the so-called Valera Drug Group.
Authorities confiscated from him an abstract design coin purse with marking ‘Bicol’ containing five heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of white crystalline substance of suspected shabu and with an estimated weight of more or less 5 grams.
The raiding teams also found unsealed transparent plastic sachet believed to be shabu residue, caliber .22 rifle, live ammunition for Cal. 5.56 and for cal. 22.
Joint personnel of the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of Pangasinan Police (Lead Unit), Special Weapons And Tactics Team (SWAT), 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company and Umingan Police Station, served the suspect the Search Warrant no. T-18-2022 issued by Hon. Judge Rusty M. Naya, Executive Judge, Br 51, Regional Trial Court of Tayug, Pangasinan for violation of RA 9165.
The implementation of the search warrant was in coordination with PDEA-R01 San Fernando La Union.
The suspect was brought to Umingan Community Hospital for medical examination while the confiscated items were brought to Urdaneta City Forensic Unit in Urdaneta Pangasinan for Drug Test and Laboratory Examination, according to Staff Sergeant Rennon Mislang.