12 Sep Arrested “Ninja Cop” in CDO Denies His Involvement with Illegal Drug Trade
On September 9, Friday night, a police officer also called as “ninja cop” was arrested as he was said to be involved in the illegal drug trade. The cop has kept his innocence and stated that the drug independents he arrested were behind his arrest.
Original Image Source: Mindanao Gold Star Daily
The cop stopped short of accusing agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) of plotting with individuals behind the illegal drug trade in the city of putting evidence so as to arrest him. He was identified as a former member of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office’s City Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force (CAIDTF), PO3 Wilson Estenzo Jr.
PDEA agents arrested Estenzo, 33 years old, at his residence in Villa Candida Subdivision in Barangay Bulua last Friday night.
15 grams of suspected shabu worth around P50 thousand was surrendered by Estenzo, PDEA regional director Adrian Alvariño said.
It was said that Estenzo sold a sachet of suspected shabu to a PDEA agent, who acted as the buyer during the buy-and-bust operation, according to Alvariño.
Three more sachets of suspected shabu were surrendered by Estenzo when the agents impounded him who was also carrying a loaded 9mm pistol.
Estenzo who is currently imprisoned denied that he was a drug dealer and that he was having sachets of shabu.
Estenzo stated that his seizure was illegal and improper.
He said, “Walay kamato-oran ang tanang butang nga ilang gipasangil batok sa ako. Dili na tinood.”
According to him, when PDEA agents intruded into his home and arrested him, he was with his wife and child. He added that the agents did not have any search warrant for him and no buy-and-bust operation happened.
Estenzo admitted that drug personalities were upset about him as he arrested them and he knew that someday these suspects would get back at him.
He stated, “Mga pamilya kini sa akong mga nadakpan ang nagpa-operate against sa ako.”
Alvariño said that Estenzo went AWOL last February. Estenzo, for eight years, was a member of the CAIDTF until he was reassigned to Divisoria police early this year.
Alvariño called Estenzo as a police officer who pursues drug suspects yet is also involve in the illegal drug trade, for short a “ninja cop”. He was also considered as a “high-value target” by the PDEA.
Alvariño said, “The way we see it, he has associates, not necessary police officers, who are high-value targets, too.”
PDEA knew that Estenzo was involved in the illegal drug trade since February, yet it took them months to gather evidence against the cop, Alvariño added.
A case against Estenzo is to be filed tomorrow. Evidence confiscated from him such as drug paraphernalia were forwarded to PDEA laboratory for examination.
News Source: Mindanao Gold Star Daily
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