Large cache of firearms seized in Makati condo raid
Published Mar 21, 2023 08:12 am
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized a large cache of firearms in a raid on a Makati City condo unit allegedly occupied by a suspected ringleader of a Taiwanese criminal syndicate.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said the raid conducted at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 20, in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City resulted in the confiscation of 85 long and short firearms, including six sub-machine guns, and ammunition.
“The search was a follow-up operation to an earlier police operation last March 1 launched through information provided by law enforcement counterparts from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) that successfully implemented warrants of deportation and mission order against three Taiwanese in Makati City that also led to the confiscation of four pistols and a submachinegun” said Aablos in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The subject of the search warrant during Monday’s raid, according to Abalos, was Zhang Xiaodong, alias Lu Ming Chung whom he described as a suspected ringleader of a Taiwan-based criminal group.
Citing intelligence reports, Abalos said the group of Zhang is also involved in production of illegal narcotics, telecom fraud operations, and other illegal activities in the Philippines.
During the March 1 operation for instance, Abalos said two of the three alleged cohorts of Zhang were linked to illegal drugs.
During the implementation of the search warrant on a Makati condo unit on March 20, Abalos said Zhang was able to elude arrest.
But seized during the operation were 13 pieces of 5.56 rifles, 12 pieces of revolver, 53 pieces of pistols, six folding submachine guns, ammunition for various guns and gun accessories.
“These Taiwanese fugitives are considered undocumented aliens as illegal entrants in the Philippines, and their presence in the country is deemed as a serious security threat,” said Abalos, adding that follow-up operations will be conducted against them.
He said the confiscated firearms will be subjected to ballistic tests through the PNP Integrated Ballistics Information System (IBIS).
“Aside from tracing the source of these firearms all these confiscated firearms will be subjected to ballistics tests to determine possible involvement of these guns in previous crime incidents,” said Abalos.