AGENTS of the National Capital Region Field Unit of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-NCRFU) smashed a Cavite-based gun trafficking ring following a raid in Kawit municipality which also led to the discovery of an illegal firing range, a report to PNP-CIDG director Maj. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. said yesterday.

CIDG-NCRFU chief Col. Hansel M. Marantan said three men and a woman were arrested during the raid at the Louisito Gun Repair Shop in Kawit, where 20 illegal guns, including three high-powered rifles and a machine pistol equipped with a suppressor commonly known as “silencer” were recovered. Some of the seized weapons have tampered serial numbers.

The raid was conducted by the Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit of the CIDG-NCRFU led by Lt. Col. Stefanio Andrenicus Rabino amid information forwarded to them regarding the presence of an illegal Kawit gun repair store and firing range.

Acting on the information, the SMMDFU placed the establishment under surveillance for nearly two months before an actual buy-bust operation was conducted.

During the sting, an undercover officer managed to buy a handgun from the suspects for P18,000. After the deal was consummated, officers arrested the four and seized the illegal firearms in the area.

A background investigation showed that the suspects were also arrested for a similar offense by the National Bureau of Investigation in 2004 and the Bacoor City Police Station in 2008.

“We consider them as recidivists already,” the official said.

Marantan said they also found out that the suspects were involved in the repair of guns and are operating a small gun range without the necessary permits from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office.

The CIDG-NCRFU chief said they are going after illegal weapons’ traffickers amid the order of PNP chief Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. for them to conduct an aggressive law enforcement operation to prevent the proliferation of loose firearms that could be used to commit crimes in the streets.

“We’re also going after illegal guns that could be used in dangerous indiscriminate firing incidents in the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations,” said Marantan.

Caramat said he has ordered his men nationwide to further intensify their implementation of their “Oplan: Paglalansag Omega,” which is their flagship program to account for loose firearms and private armed groups.

Marantan said they will request the PNP Forensics Group to subject the recovered rifles and handguns to a ballistics test and cross-matching examination to determine if any of them could have been used in previous criminal activities in Cavite and even Metro Manila.

He said that they are looking into the possibility that many illegal weapons have already been sold by the suspects. He added that they are also going after other illegal gun stores and firing ranges in Metro Manila, in coordination with the PNP-FEO, and the PNP Civil Security Group.

“We already know the ‘padrinos’ of these suspects and absolutely, we will go after them since their firearms can be used in the formation of private armed groups,” said Marantan who minced no words in saying he will not back off from threats by influential politicians.