Cops claim success in campaign vs gunrunning

DIGOS CITY—The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said it had crippled the operations of a gunrunning syndicate operating in Davao del Sur with the arrest of three more of its members.

Senior Insp. Francis Sonza, CIDG provincial chief, said the three suspected members of the Maglinte gunrunning syndicate were arrested during a buy-bust operation on Wednesday.

They were identified as Joy Federico, 46, the alleged team leader; Raul Alang, 51; and Jonathan Cayamba, 33, all of Sta. Cruz town.

Seized from the suspects were three homemade handguns, he said.

On April 19, another member of the gang was arrested by CIDG operative, also in Sta. Cruz.

Sonza said the proliferation of illegal firearms in the province could be the reason behind rising criminality, especially killings.

The latest gun attack took place at the public market of this city on Wednesday, during which two persons, including a minor, were injured.

Senior Supt. Ronaldo Llanera, provincial police director, said the victims were buying cell phone batteries and got into an altercation with the still unidentified suspect for still unknown reasons.

He said the suspect was not arrested as he fled before authorities arrived.

Llanera also believed that illegal firearms were proliferating in the province.

Llanera said last week, four suspected gunrunners from Maguindanao were also arrested at a police checkpoint here. Orlando B. Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao