Police seized on Tuesday a cache of high-caliber guns in an entrapment operation that led to the arrest of a 33-year-old man who was reportedly selling illegal firearms via social media site Facebook.
The Northern Police District (NPD), which launched the operation, identified the suspect as John Christian Bautista, a "big-time gunrunner" from Imus, Cavite allegedly operating in Metro Manila, Region 4-A, and nearby provinces.
His arrest came after NPD's District Special Operation Unit (DSOU) led by Lt. Col. Jay Dimaandal received information from a concerned citizen about the activity of Bautista.
The concerned citizen told police that there is a chat on Facebook wherein transactions for the sale of firearms among gun enthusiasts are ongoing.
Police said an operative from the DSOU acted as an interested buyer to be able to personally meet with Bautista. The transaction was done at a gas station on Macapagal Ave. in Pasay City around 11 a.m. on Tuesday that led to the suspect's arrest.
Seized from Bautista were the following:
• Thompson submachine gun cal .45 M1 SN 175291 with one magazine;
• MGV 176 Cal .22 LR SN 3037;
• STI 9mm with SN# KF 11205;
• Cobra Special Cal .38-no serial no.
• Caliber .40 Smith and Wesson with SN NEH 8367 and
• Caliber .45 COLT 38720
Police also reached out to Bautista's wife who voluntarily surrendered his firearms which are kept inside their house.
The surrendered firearms were the following:
• One Shotgun Mossberg T 851464
• One AK SN-A 502975
• One MA Carbine Caliber 5.56 MM SN 123561
• One US Carbine Defaced SN
• One .22 TCM SN TR008777
• One Sniper Rifle SN Defaced
• One Performance STR SW-SN Defaced
• One Taurus SN NDX 91540, and
• Assorted box of ammunition and magazine