Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) confiscated assorted high-powered firearms from two Singaporeans and a Filipino allegedly involved in gun-running activities, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Black Saturday, April 19.
The CIDG identified the suspects as Desmond and Louis Poh, both Singapore nationals, and a certain “Mark”, a protection agent.
The suspects were caught while in possession of 10 loose firearms and an airsoft replica amid the election gun ban during a buy-bust operation conducted by the CIDG Detection and Special Operations Unit (DSOU) in Brgy. Ge. T. De Leon, Valenzuela City on Maundy Thursday, April 17, according to PNP-CIDG Director Major Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
The CIDG said the operation dubbed Oplan Paglalansag Omega, a crackdown on loose firearms and private armed groups, stemmed from a report that the suspects were allegedly selling loose firearms in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Seized from the suspects were an M-15 rifle, a Garand M2 carbine, an MK-9 sub-machine gun, an MKG 9mm rifle, four caliber 9mm pistols, a .45-caliber pistol, and a .22-caliber pistol. They also yielded various magazines and live ammunition.
Torre commended the CIDG’s DSOU for the arrest of the three gun-running suspects and the seizure of the arms cache.
“With the confiscation of these loose firearms and apprehension of the possessors, we significantly accounted and suppressed the so-called ‘guns, goons, and gold’ of Philippine politics, and thereby, we prevented its use and utilization for the coming election,” he noted.
The suspects were charged with violation of Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Regulation Act. (Martin Sadongdong)
