<div> Two suspected gunrunners—one of them allegedly an American citizen—were arrested after a police operation in southern Metro Manila.</div><div> </div><div> Police arrested Felix Mabarosa, 51, and Joseph Cacho, 42, an alleged American citizen, in the raid, GMA News' Emil Sumangil reported on "24 Oras."</div><div> </div><div> But Mabarosa denied links to gunrunning, saying the firearms being sold in the sting operation were not his.</div><div> </div><div> "Kami lang po ay napagdaanan ng baril na yun. Hindi talaga sa amin yun," Mabarosa said.</div><div> </div><div> Footage from a surveillance camera showed the suspects trying to flee after being caught, but being caught in the end.</div><div> </div><div> Intelligence agents of the Las Piñas City Police had placed the two under surveillance for two weeks.<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" height="380" src="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/evideo/221530/2-lalaki-arestado-dahil-sa-pagbebenta-umano-ng-mga-di-lisensyadong-baril" width="640"></iframe></div><div> </div><div> The initial transaction was held at a safe house of the suspects, outside one of the newly built townhouses at Pilar Village in Las Piñas City. A hidden camera documented the deal.</div><div> </div><div> After 30 minutes, the suspects invited the undercover intelligence police officers into the townhouse to close the deal.</div><div> </div><div> The firearm to be sold in the deal was a Smith and Wesson magnum .357 handgun, for P12,000.</div><div> </div><div> But once the undercover agent handed over the marked money, the arrests were made.</div><div> </div><div> Police said the two suspects had been on their watch list for some time. They said the sale of the firearms may have contributed to the criminality in the area.</div><div> </div><div> Las Piñas City police chief Senior Superintendent Adolfo Samala said the firearms were not licensed.</div><div> </div><div> "Sino man ang pwedeng mag-possess nito ay maaaring magamit sa krimen na mahihirapan tayo ma-detect dahil hindi ito dumaan sa proseso ng pagpapa-ballistic," he said.<strong>—<a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/archives/authors/joellocsin">Joel Locsin</a>/NB, GMA News</strong></div>
Tracking
Archives
