Not so fast! 3 NPA 'couriers' yield 4800 live bullets, 2 rifle grenades in Butuan checkpoint -- military


Alert military and police personnel discovered various war materiel from three suspected New People's Army (NPA) couriers in a joint checkpoint operation in Butuan, Agusan del Norte, a military commander said Sunday, Sept 5.

Photo courtesy of 4th Infantry Division

Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of 4th Infantry Division (4ID), identified the suspects as Rolando Dagium, 34; Ferdinand Dagium, 27; and Marvin Merencillo, 26, all are suspected members of the NPA's Regional Sentro De Gravidad - North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (RSDG-NEMRC).

Brawner said the three suspects were intercepted in a checkpoint by members of the 65th Infantry Battalion (65IB), 75th Infantry Battalion (75IB), Butuan City Police Office Station 4 (BCPS-4), and Butuan City Mobile Force Company (BCMFC) in Barangay Pianing last Sept. 3.

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When the government troops inspected the boxes carried by the suspects aboard their motorcycles, they found 4,800 pieces of AK47's 7.62 mm live ammunition and two rifle grenades.

Brawner hailed the interception as military officials believe the seized ammunition and rifle grenades will be brought to the fighters of the RSDG-NEMRC.

The suspects and the seized items were brought to the police station for proper disposition and filing of charges.