By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — The high-powered firearms and ammunition seized during a raid in a posh subdivision in Brgy. Banago here on Wednesday were part of a much large cache owned by an international gunrunning syndicate, an intelligence source said.
The Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU), which staged the operation, was coordinating with the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, in investigating the items’ source, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Panay News yesterday.
According to the source, the syndicate orders firearms in bulk from international suppliers.
These firearms do not have serial numbers on them. The serial numbers, which will match the licenses to be issued for the items, are imprinted only upon the arrival of the supply, said the source.
“This ensures that whenever [the items are] seized while on transit, they will have the necessary documents,” the source said. “If the firearms are sold again, the existing serial numbers will be erased and new ones will be imprinted again.”
In the next few weeks, another raid will be conducted outside of this city to seize a much bigger stash of firearms, the source disclosed.
RIU operatives swooped down on the house rented by Eugene Angelo Gawat at No. 85 San Fernando–San Carlos Avenue West, Sta. Clara Subdivision, Brgy. Banago, at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
They seized from a Toyota Hi-Ace van (plate number: BDW 122) 16 AK-47 rifles, 125 empty magazines, boxes of assorted live ammunition, 25 jungle knives, 26 leather magazine pouches and 25 cleaning kits.
They also recovered from Gawat’s room 60 assorted ammunition, and in another room, a steel cabinet containing two long-barrel shotguns, a .30-caliber rifle and two .45-caliber pistols.
Gawat, the alleged owner of the items, remains at large as of press time.
The operation, led by Supt. Ronald Allan Gepana, was staged on the strength of a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 51 Judge Anita Guanzon–Chua.
The house was owned by a certain Benjamin Jalandoni.
Mayor Monico Puentevella commended the police for the raid.
Puentevella offered a P10,000 reward to anyone who could provide information that could lead to the confiscation of unlicensed firearms here.
Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, on the other hand, said it was good that the firearms and ammunition have been confiscated.
“They could get in the wrong hands and create a lot of trouble, not only in the province but also elsewhere,” he said./PN
