Army, police intercept high-powered guns at Cotabato checkpoint

ARMS CACHE. Police and soldiers document the high-powered firearms seized from a suspected gun-runner at a checkpoint in Libungan, Cotabato province Thursday (May 4). (Photo from 6th ID)

COTABATO CITY – Government forces on Thursday seized high-powered firearms from a suspected gunrunner at a checkpoint in Barangay Grebona, Libungan, Cotabato, the Philippine Army said.

Lt. Col. Rey Rico, commander of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion, said soldiers and police personnel manning the Grebona Patrol Base intercepted a car loaded with about 10 assault rifles neatly hidden at the car’s back seat.

“The driver was acting suspiciously, prompting the soldiers to conduct further inspection,” Rico said.

The suspect, initially identified as a certain Norodin, was driving the car from Manila and travelled by land to Cotabato City.

Rico said the car came from Bukidnon province when flagged down for inspection. The driver was uneasy during inspection and eventually admitted the car had firearms.

Rico said the car yielded 10 M-16 rifles, 10 lower receiver groups for R4 rifles, five barrels for 5.56mm rifles, six handguard covers for M16 rifles, and two handheld radio sets.

Brig. Gen. Donald Gumiran, 602nd Infantry Brigade commander, said the arrested person was a courier of a gun-running syndicate that sells guns to private armed groups in the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.

“We are still interrogating the suspect to determine the scope of the group’s operation and other information about their illegal activities,” Gumiran said in a statement.

Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, 6th Infantry Division commander, said the military is intensifying its campaign against loose firearms as the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections approach.

gsg