MOST WANTED BAGUIO DRUG LORD FALLS
Elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) finally ended the notoriety of a businessman tagged as Baguio City’s most wanted drug ring leader following his arrest in a buy-bust operation on November 12, 2012.

Undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr., PDEA director general, identified the arrested as Arthur Nider Sr., 53, residing both at No. 132 Sunny Side, Lower Fairview, Baguio City and at No. 70 Simsim Cmpd., Maria Basa, Pacdal in Baguio City. Cacdac said that Nider, leader of the notorious Nider Drug Group and listed as No. 1 on PDEA Regional Order of Battle, was arrested by elements of PDEA Regional Office-Cordillera Autonomous Region under Director Ronald Allan Ricardo after he sold to a PDEA poseur-buyer two grams of shabu for P12,000 at Purok 8, Apugan, Upper Irisan, Baguio City. PDEA agents also seized from Nider a cellular phone, a wallet containing assorted ATM cards, the marked bills used as buy-bust money and a sports utility vehicle, which the suspect used in his illegal drug transactions. JING VILLAMENTE

THREE CARJACKERS NABBED IN ABRA
BANGUED, Abra: Three carjackers were arrested by elements of the Bangued Municipal Police Station after they reportedly stole a blue Rusi motorcycle parked near the public market yesterday afternoon. Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong, director of the Police Regional Office in Cordillera, identified the arrested as Franklin Gerandoy Brazas, 21, single, of Nagtipulan, Lagangilang, Abra and presently residing at Linasin, Zone 1, Bangued, Abra; Jonathan Cati Castañeda, 18, single of Linasin Zone 1, Bangued, Abra as the driver and Emmanuel Cati Molina, 19, single of Linasin, Zone 1, Bangued, Abra as the look out. Initial police investigation showed that Dion Bilgera Domingo, 22, single, of Brgy. Linasin, Zone 1, Bangued, Abra parked his Rusi motorcycle in front of the Bangued Public Market and after a while, he noticed that his motorcycle was being driven away by the suspects; he chased them until he was able to grab the back rider that caused the motorcycle to swerve down and with the aid of the security guard, Brazas was arrested, while the two others escaped from the scene. In a follow up police operation, Castañeda and Molina were arrested at the Assist Cmpd., Zone 3, Bangued, Abra, through the cooperation of Brazas who provided the law enforcers with vital information to their whereabouts. THOM F. PICAÑA

CAVITE POLICE CHIEF RESHUFFLE MEANT FOR POLLS
The reshuffling of chiefs of police in Cavite province started on Monday in preparation for the May 2013 local and national election. P/Chief Supt. Redrico Maranan of Cavite Provincial Public Safety management Office took over the flag as the symbol of incoming Imus City police chief, replacing superintendent Gerardo Umayao in the presence of Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi and members of city council held at Imus Plaza yesterday. Umayao served for five months in the city notching the lowest crime incidence of theft and carjacking. Maranan was the former Bacoor police chief who was praised by local officials for maintaining peace and order in the city; he was replaced by P/Supt. Hermogenes Cabe as chief of Cavite Provincial Public Safety Management. Director John Bulalacao of Cavite Provincial Police Dasmarinas and Ullyses Cruz, a police head, might be replaced in December by P/Chief Supt. Romeo Baleros of Provincial Intelligence Branch. ROGELIO LIMPIN

LAWMEN NEUTRALIZE ABRA PRIVATE ARMY LEADER
CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet: Combined police operatives and intelligence agents successfully arrested a wanted top leader of a private armed group (PAG) in Abra and his henchman in a tracker operation in Brgy. Santolan, Pasig City at about 5:15 p.m. on Sun-day. Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong, director of Police Regional Office identified the arrested as Prudencio Britanico Jr., 41, of Brgy. Quilliat, Langiden, Abra, who is the leader of the Britanico Private Armed Group, the Top Most Wanted PAG leader in Abra; wanted for two counts of murder in 2001 and 2011 and a frustrated murder early this year. THOM F. PICAÑA