Police nab couple selling guns, ammunition to local terrorists

From the Business Mirror (Dec 18): Police nab couple selling guns, ammunition to local terrorists

Policemen arrested on Sunday night a couple tagged as alleged suppliers of weapons and ammunition to security threat groups and private armed groups in Valenzuela City.

The suspects were identified as Edgardo and Rosemarie Medel of Landville Subdivision, Barangay Pambuan, Gapan, Nueva Ecija, who were nabbed after turning over P1.2 million worth of rifles and ammunition to two policewomen at a gasoline station along the North Luzon Expressway in Valenzuela.

“I just cannot imagine the death and destruction that will result should these war materials fall into the hands of the New People’s Army, Abu Sayyaf Group and terror groups,” National Police chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said in a news statement on Monday.

The arrest of the couple culminated a weeklong operation by the Regional Special Operations Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) who worked on the information provided by police units in Mindanao regarding the arms sales of the suspects.

“Medel also figured in previous arms transaction with buyers from Mindanao. A subsequent test buy was conducted wherein NCRPO operatives were able to obtain ammunition from Medel, who also assured the he can also supply as many as 10 rifles,” Albayalde said.

Following Medel’s assurance that he could deliver additional weapons, a buy-bust plan was hatched by the NCRPO in order to entrap the suspect with another order for P1.2 million worth of weapons and ammunition.

At around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, the couple arrived onboard a white van with plate number REV-675 at a service station along the expressway and the transaction was
consummated.

The couple was placed under arrest after accepting P1.2-million marked money from two undercover female operatives who posed as buyers of weapons and ammunition, purportedly for the forthcoming elections next year.

The confiscated arms cache consisted of two assault rifles, a handgun and 12,893 rounds of live ammunition for M-60 light machine-gun and M-16 assault rifle.

“Part of the continuing investigation will be to determine the source of these weapons and ammunition, and to possibly identify other persons involved in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said Albayalde.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/police-nab-couple-selling-guns-ammunition-to-local-terrorists/