Policemen intercepted Tuesday a truck loaded with guns and ammunition and seized the items for further investigation as the couriers told the police these were supposed to be delivered to an undisclosed place in Tabuelan, Cebu, according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, regional CIDG chief, said that those placed under temporary custody and investigation were Noel Menoza Abarquez, Mario Sanillo Lamoste and Pablo Mankit Biabado, all claimed to be couriers for GDS Security Agency owned by a certain Benjamin Sun.
The truck was stopped and searched at around 1:30 a.m. at a checkpoint along Quasi Street in Barangay Poblacion, Tayaba said.
“The operation stemmed from information given by a confidential agent that an Isuzu Elf with plate number GFZ-735 would be transporting undetermined number of firearms to Bacolod,” Tayaba said in his report.
While checking the documents of the vehicle and cargo, one of the CDIG personnel saw “a pistol placed beside the driver” and that the driver could not produce a permit to carry the firearm.
“Further search of the cargo revealed that more guns and ammos were placed inside numerous rain-boots inside large boxes,” Tayaba said.
“The arrested persons claimed that they are employees of GDS Security Agency located at Port Area, Cebu City,” Tayaba said.
The confiscated items included three 12-gauge shotguns, 14 caliber 9mm pistols, 31 cal. .38 revolvers, 12 live ammunition for 12-gauge shotgun, 8 boxes containing 50 cal. 38 live ammunition for each box, 4 boxes containing rain-boots and 2 boxes containing rain coats, 2 boxes containing logbook, 3 bundles of GDS patches, a plastic bag of whistle, 17 handcuffs, and XR200 Honda motorcycle.
Meanwhile, another Chinese national was arrested by the police in a separate buy-bust operation after the arrest of 3 Chinese nationals on Tuesday.