A suspected leader of a gunrunning group was arrested by the Southern Police District (SPD) at a popular mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa on Jan. 9.
The SPD Special Operation Unit carried out the operation against the illegal sale of firearms and ammunition.
The operation at Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa on Jan. 9 (Screenshots from SPD video)
SPD Director Brig. Gen. Mark Pespes identified the arrested suspect as alias Ivan, 51, alleged leader of the Sgt. Ivan Gun Running Group. The driver of the van with the alias Alvin, 41, is being investigated.
A member of the group, alias Daryl, 40, was arrested in another operation in Sampaloc, Manila.
(Photos from SPD)
The arrest was made at about 8 a.m. in front of a Korean grill restaurant in Festival Mall in Alabang.
A subsequent operation at 11:15 a.m. on the same day in Sampaloc, Manila led to the arrest of Daryl, the second target of the operation.
The SPD said the operation stemmed from intelligence provided by a confidential informant, allegedly detailing the involvement of the Sgt Ivan Group in gunrunning activities.
The group is allegedly composed of reservists or former uniformed personnel and believed to be operating in the southern part and nearby cities of the National Capital Region (NCR).
SPD said the entrapment operation, jointly conducted with the Station Intelligence Section of the Muntinlupa Police, the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Quezon City District Field Unit and Manila Police District Substation 4.
At Festival Mall, Ivan, the No. 1 target of the operation, sold two ammunition boxes of 5.56mm containing an estimated 2,000 rounds after receiving marked buy-bust money. Subsequently another operation was launched involving three high-caliber firearms.
The transaction started in Muntinlupa City and extended to D. Tuazon, Quezon City. Target No. 2, Daryl, aware of the situation, swiftly changed the location to Bataan Street, Barangay 55, Sampaloc, near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila. Despite attempts to evade arrest, Daryl was swiftly apprehended by the team.
Recovered by the police from Ivan were P1,000 genuine bill marked money, two ammunition boxes containing an estimated 2,000 rounds of green tip 5.56 ammunition, one Intelligence Service Identification Card under the name of suspect alias Ivan.
Meanwhile, recovered from Daryl, the SPD said, were P1,000 genuine bill, one unit of Imbel Brasil .45 caliber pistol, one magazine for .45 caliber pistol, 15 live ammunition for .45 caliber pistol, black inside holster for .45 caliber pistol, one Bentley shotgun, 35 shotgun shells, red sling bag intended as pouch for shotgun ammunition, one US carbine with foldable butt and sling, 82 live ammunition for carbine, black pouch intended for carbine ammunition, brown sling bag. An Armscor .45 caliber pistol recovered from Daryl is under verification.
The arrested suspects and evidence were brought to the SPD District Special Operations Unit for documentation. The police will file charges against the two suspects.