NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.

A former policeman who had gone AWOL or absent without official leave was arrested after selling shabu to an operative of the Talibon Police Station posing as a drug buyer early dawn Friday.

This is the second time that the suspect, identified as former Police Corporal Vincent Autor, 40 years old, and a resident of Purok 7, Barangay Poblacion, Talibon, is nabbed for selling illegal drugs.

Talibon Police chief P/Capt. Amelito Melloria told dyRD Balita that Autor used to be assigned at the Trinidad Police Station before he went AWOL in 2016 when he got involved in illegal drug activities and was later apprehended in a buy-bust operation.

Autor was released from detention through plea bargaining only to resume illegal drug activities.

After conducting surveillance on the suspect, the Talibon PNP’s Municipal Drug Enforcement Unit set up an entrapment operation.

A police poseur-buyer succeeded in buying P1,000 worth of shabu from Autor at around 3:47 in the morning Friday at Purok 5, Barangay San Jose, Talibon.

Other police operatives who were monitoring the drug transaction between Autor and the poseur-buyer rushed to arrest the suspect after the latter received the marked money.

When bodily searched, the police team found Autor in possession of another 4 small cellophane sachets containing shabu approximately weighing 3.60 grams with a street value of P24,480.

Autor is currently being detained at the Talibon PNP’s detention facility while the arresting officers prepare charges against him for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 (RA 9165).