Army officer, 2 others caught selling drugs
AN ARMY officer and his two companions were arrested in a drug bust in Quezon City Wednesday night, March 7, police said.
Army 2nd Lieutenant Hamel Samsodin was allegedly trying to sell illegal drugs worth P60,000 to a poseur buyer at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mapayapa Village 1, Barangay Pasong Tamo while his partner Aslimah Aliba and relative Mohair Masicuin waited in the car.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Guillermo Eleazar said Thursday, March 8, that the three suspects tried to flee after Samsodin sensed that it was a drug bust.
Samsodin allegedly boarded the vehicle, where Aliba and Masicuin were waiting, and fled.
Eleazar said they were cornered at Dollar Street corner Mark Street in Barangay North Fairview after a brief car chase.
Recovered from the suspects were approximately 25 grams of a methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu", P60,000 marked money, a calibre 45 Armscor with a magazine with five ammunition, calibre 45 with a magazine with seven ammunition, a replica of an M-16 armalite rifle, six magazine assembly for M-16 rifle with 148 rounds and a hand grenade.
Eleazar said they later found that Samsodin is an Army officer and that he took his oath at the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on May 1, 2016.
He underwent a two-month Scout Ranger Orientation Course in Bulacan and a threemonth Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
“He (Samsodin) was supposed to be deployed as platoon leader of the 83rd Infantry Batallion, in Pili, Camarines Sur," Eleazar said.
The suspects will be charged with illegal possession of illegal drugs and firearms, ammunition and explosives.
Eleazar, meanwhile, commended the operatives for the successful operation which is part of the continuing implementation of the PNP Oplan Double Barrel.
“Ang pagkakaaresto sa mga suspek ay bunga ng implementasyon ng Case Operation Plan (COPLAN) Reserve sa pagtutulungan ng QCPD at ng AFP Joint Task Force Noah. Kailanman ay hindi natin i-totolerate ang mga illegal na gawain ng sino man lalo na kung kawani ng gobyerno,” he said.
(Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/ SunStar Philippines)