Armed men nabbed at Consolacion checkpoint

Two armed men were arrested at a checkpoint in barangay Tayud, Consolacion town, northern Cebu, last Monday night.

Police said Kenneth Camuta, 33, and Jessie Verioso, 27, both residents of barangay Cantao-an, Naga City, were members of a gun-for-hire group.
Camuta denied the allegations against them.

Insp. Wilbert Parilla, chief of the Consolacion police, said the two men would get P40,000 to P50,000 from a drug lord who orders them to kill rivals in their illegal drug activities.

Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said lives were saved after the two persons were arrested.

Police said the two men were allegedly about to kill two persons in Cebu City when police collared them.

Comendador said the two men are members of a big syndicate that operates in the Cebu province, Mandaue City and Cebu City.

Parilla said police detected the two men’s operation that prompted them to conduct a checkpoint.

Parilla said the two men were on board a motorcycle when they were flagged down.

Veriosa ran but was cornered by police.

Police said a .45 pistol was recovered from Camuta, while Verioso yielded a .357 revolver.

A pack of suspected shabu and two cell phones were also seized from the suspects, said police.

An investigation will be made to identify the two men’s mastermind, said Comendador./CORRESPONDENT GABRIEL C. BONJOC