A BARANGAY councilman in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, who became notorious for his illegal drug- trafficking activities, was arrested by combined police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives during an entrapment operation Wednesday afternoon.

Police Regional Office 1 director Chief Supt. Franklin Jesus Bucayu said suspect Nelvin Caranto, 39, councilman of Bgy. Sto. Tomas, Pinili, was shot in the left leg by an officer when he resisted and exchanged fire with the lawmen at 2:15 Wednesday.

Bucayu said that Caranto earlier sold two plastic packets containing shabu to an undercover officer in Sitio Son-son, Bgy. Sto. Tomas.

When he sensed the entrapment operation, the suspect tried to escape and later fired at the officers until he was shot in the left leg and taken to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City under heavy police guard.

Bucayu said that apart from the two sachets of shabu, the suspect also was found in possession of the two marked P1,000 bills paid to him by the poseur, a small container with five packets of shabu, three disposable lighters, a matchbox containing improvised drug paraphernalia and a caliber .45 pistol with six rounds of ammunition.

He said the buy-bust operation was conducted by the Ilocos Norte Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, in coordination with the PDEA, the Ilocos Norte Criminal Investigation and Detection Team and the Pinili Municipal Police Station.