SARIAYA, Quezon – Police arrested a member of a gun-for-hire and gunrunning syndicate on Thursday evening, Feb. 23, in Barangay Mangalang I here.
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group identified the suspect as Emerson Coronel.
Coronel, who was apprehended on a search warrant issued by Judge Agripino Bravo, executive judge, Regional Trial Court, Fourth Judicial Region, Lucena City dated Feb. 21, 2023, yielded a magnum .357, a caliber .38 revolver, and ammunition.
The suspect is a member of the Manalo-Briones Crime Group involved in gunrunning and hired gun activities, particularly in the second district of Quezon.
Coronel was allegedly involved in a shooting incident on Jan. 5, 2023 and in 2017, the suspect was listed as a street-level individual who surrendered through “Oplan: Tokhang” at the Quezon Police Provincial Office.
Police said the group usually keeps their stash of unlicensed firearms for gunrunning in the safehouse of a less suspicious member or in an isolated place or area to avoid detection and apprehension.
The suspect and pieces of evidence were brought to the CIDG-Quezon Provincial Field Unit Office in Camp Nakar here for proper disposition.