Camille Naredo

Article (news)

THUMBNAIL-CRIME

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Police have seized firearms believed to have been smuggled into the country during a buy-bust operation in Batangas province, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Wednesday.CIDG Acting Director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said the confiscation was made during the arrest of a man allegedly involved in the illegal trading of firearms and gunrunning activities in Batangas and nearby provinces on August 1.The suspect, identified only as Zaldy, was apprehended in a buy-bust operation at a gasoline station along Maharlika Highway in Barangay San Bartolome, Sto. Tomas, Batangas, while delivering and trading three unlicensed firearms — two caliber 5.56 rifles and one caliber .22 rifle — along with magazines and ammunition.The poseur buyers sealed the deal to purchase the firearms for ₱700,000.One of the rifles bore the marking POF-USA, indicating it was manufactured abroad.&quot;These are not ordinary loose firearms. Ang tawag namin dito ay mga close factory-built rifle, mga original parts ito na binuo para maging m/45 rifles – these are manufactured here in the country. So, it raises a question: saan galing ito? Anong avenues galing ito? Meron na ba tayong smuggling na nangyayari? So, we are looking at that,&quot; Abrahano told reporters at Camp Crame.(We call these close factory-built rifles — these are original parts assembled to become m/45 rifles — manufactured here in the country. So it raises questions: Where did these come from? Through what avenues? Are we already dealing with smuggling? So we are looking into that.)&quot;With the confiscation of these firearms, we removed from circulation these instruments of crime. Therefore, we significantly prevented crimes in society,&quot; he added.Abrahano said a police informant tipped them off about Zaldy’s activities. The suspect is allegedly a notorious gun-runner with a network of clients, including gun-for-hire groups.&quot;Parte lang ito ng isang malaking web,&quot; he said. (This is just part of a bigger web.)Zaldy was only one of two targets in the operation; his companion remains at large. According to Abrahano, they allegedly belong to an organized group.&quot;We have other orders na kasama sa transaksyon na ito. Unfortunately, nakatakas &#x27;yong isang sasakyan. We ordered, aside from these rifles, may tatlo-apat pa na rifles, plus explosives,&quot; said Abrahano.(We had other orders connected to this transaction. Unfortunately, one of the vehicles got away. Aside from these rifles, we had orders for three to four more rifles, plus explosives.)The suspect has been charged before the National Prosecution Service for violation of Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, for illegal possession of firearms.

Police have seized firearms believed to have been smuggled into the country during a buy-bust operation in Batangas province, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Wednesday.

Police have seized firearms believed to have been smuggled into the country during a buy-bust operation in Batangas province, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Wednesday.

CIDG seizes suspected smuggled rifles in Batangas buy-bust

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CIDG seizes suspected smuggled rifles in Batangas buy-bust

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 06, 2025 07:27 PM PHT

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Criminal Investigation and Detection Group

CIDG

gunrunning

buy-bust

Batangas

PNP

Camp Crame

Christopher Abrahano

smuggling

POF-USA

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