MANILA — Police rounded up 70 persons and confiscated an assortment of 107 small arms and light weapons in a day-long simultaneous operation against loose firearms in the Caraga region.
“The police is ensuring the public’s safety by taking away loose firearms in the hands of criminal elements, threat groups, and unauthorized individuals,” PNP chief PGen Debold M Sinas said as he took note of field reports from Caraga PNP Regional Director, Police Brigadier General Romeo Caramat Jr.
Aside from the 70 arrested individuals, a still-unidentified person died in the police operations, Caramat told the Chief PNP.
As the operation culminated, police hauled 107 assorted firearms including one 5.56mm Galil rifle, two 9mm KG-9 submachineguns, one caliber .30 carbine; 32 caliber.45 pistols, three 9mm pistols, 54 caliber.38 revolvers, one caliber.22 rifle, and 13 shotguns.
He said the police operations stemmed from the simultaneous implementation of 82 separate search warrants issued by the court.
Caramat reported that the simultaneous implementation of Search Warrants focusing on Loose Firearms aims to curtail the criminal capabilities of lawless elements in the Caraga Region. Some of these Search Warrants were also focused on known supporters and affiliates of communist terrorist groups in support of “whole of nation” efforts under the NTF-ELCAC, he said. (ARWEN PASCUA/AI/MTVN)
