CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Bulacan police arrested Eastern Visayas’ second most wanted fugitive and an alleged member of the notorious Dela Rosa criminal gang during a noon operation in Bustos town on Tuesday, 21 July, according to the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3).

 Authorities identified the suspect as Jeffrey Culaban y Custodio, 32, a construction worker from Kananga, Leyte wanted for multiple murder charges. The arrest occurred at 12:40 p.m. in Barangay Poblacion through a joint operation involving Bulacan intelligence units and Regional Intelligence Unit 8.

 Regional Director PBGen. Ponce Rogelio I. Peñones Jr. confirmed Culaban had been hiding in Barangay Bundukan, Bocaue before his capture. Court records show the suspect faces non-bailable murder warrants from Leyte courts dating back to his alleged involvement in gang-related killings. 

“This operation proves criminals can’t outrun inter-regional police coordination,” Peñones said, emphasizing PRO3’s intensified fugitive tracking efforts across Central Luzon.

 The Dela Rosa Group, to which Culaban allegedly belongs, has been linked to over a dozen violent crimes in Eastern Visayas since 2022. Investigators are now determining if the suspect participated in recent criminal activities while evading authorities in Bulacan. 

Culaban remains detained at Bustos Municipal Police Station pending transfer to Leyte courts.