ILOILO – A suspected leader of a newly identified criminal gang operating in this province was arrested in an entrapment operation yesterday in Barangay Purog, Pototan town.
Through Oplan Salikop, joint elements of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Region 6 collared 23-year-old Joshua Larroza of Barangay Lopez Jaena, Pototan around 3:30 p.m.
Larroza transacted a homemade .38 revolver with five ammunition to a police poseur buyer for P3,500, a police report showed.
Also recovered from him were a hand grenade, four sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia.
Larroza was the leader of the eight-man Bolt Cutter gang, said Police Major Jess Baylon of CIDG.
The other members were also from Pototan, he added.
Citing an intelligence report, Baylon said aside from robbery, the gang was also involved in illegal drugs and gunrunning.
“Actually, Larroza was with his two members (during the operation), but they left before we arrived,” Baylon told Panay News last night.
Baylon said the gang was responsible for several robberies in Pototan, Zarraga, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael and Cabatuan towns.
Reports added that the group is now focusing on illegal drugs and loose firearms after getting links with a dismissed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel who went absent without an official leave (AWOL).
The dismissed soldier was allegedly the supplier of homemade firearms.
Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, IPPO director, will review the past robbery incidents in the province to confirm if the said gang was responsible.
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Gervacio Balmaceda, CIDG-6 director, said the Larroza’s apprehension was the result of their aggressive monitoring.
Larroza would be facing charges for violations of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, RA 10591 or illegal possession of guns, and RA 9516 for possessing explosives./PN
