MANILA – The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) operatives on Sunday arrested a cop in a drug buy-bust operation in Parañaque City.

NCRPO Director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. identified the suspect as Cpl. Neil Bagunu, 31, presently assigned at the National Police Training Institute (NPTI).

He was arrested in Purok-2 Formost Street in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City after receiving the marked and boodle money from a poseur buyer as payment for shabu at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Nartatez said the operatives seized drug paraphernalia worth PHP136,000 and a .45- caliber pistol.

The cop, he said, was brought to the Paranaque Police Station to face criminal and administrative charges.

He said over 500 policemen in Metro Manila have been dismissed from the service as part of the NCRPO’s internal cleansing since July last year.

Meanwhile, law enforcers have intercepted a shipment containing 3,742 pieces of tablets suspected to be ecstasy worth PHP6.3 million in Pasay City on Friday.

In a statement Saturday, Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group chief Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta said the shipment was declared “shoe rack” sent by Lambert Louis of Antwerp, Belgium consigned to Maritoni Bacanoy Macainan at Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC), Domestic Road, Pasay City.

Matta said the tablets were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for proper disposition and filing of charges against those involved in the illegal shipment.

The operation was in collaboration with the PDEA and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group. (PNA)