216 wanted men arrested, 70 loose weapons seized in CARAGA
A DAY-LONG ‘One-Time, Big-Time’ anti-criminality operation by agents of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 in CARAGA region on Friday resulted in the arrest of 216 wanted persons and the seizure of 70 loose firearms including four light weapons, PRO-13 director, Brigadier General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. reported on Saturday.
Caramat told Philippine National Police chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said that their conduct of the one-day Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations focused on loose firearms, illegal drugs and wanted persons in the region.
The official said that 46 search warrants for violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013, issued by different courts in the region were served by his men in the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Island and in Butuan City.
As a result, Caramat said that 41 RA 10591 violators were arrested while 70 assorted firearms including one AK-47 assault rifle, one KG9 sub-machine gun, two caliber .30 Carbine rifles were confiscated by the local police.
The PRO-13 director said nine search warrants for violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were also served by his operatives on Friday leading to the arrest of 17 known drug personalities and the seizure of some 25 grams of shabu and marijuana worth around P276,000.
Caramat said that during the day-long operation, they also accounted for 216 wanted persons, all the subject of warrants of arrest for various criminal offenses issued by the court.
Of the 216, five were among those included in the PRO-13’s most wanted list while 27 were in the provincial level list and 110 others in the city/municipal most wanted level.
Another 74 are considered other wanted persons.
Caramat said that 22 of the arrested suspects are known New People’s Army (NPA) personalities, with three of them included in their periodic status report (PSR).
He said that 17 active NPA members including two listed in the PRO-13 PSR also yielded on Friday along with their weapons.
Caramat said the arrested suspects are now facing appropriate criminal charges while those covered with warrants of arrest will be presented to the court for proper disposition and issuance of commitment orders.
The official said the NPA members who yielded to them will be assisted by the local police in availing of the government’s comprehensive livelihood program for rebel returnees.
