AN intensified campaign against organized crime gangs and their weapons by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Wednesday led to the arrest of scores of wanted persons and the seizure of a cache of weapons and explosives in Calabarzon, PNP-CIDG director, Brigadier General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. said.

“We will now be launching regular ‘One-Time, Big-Time’ anti-criminality operations against organized crime syndicates, wanted persons and illegal guns and other weapons as ordered by PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.,” said the PNP-CIDG director in the aftermath of the series of raids in Calabarzon region coordinated by his men with the Police Regional Office 4-A.

Brig. Gen. Caramat said that around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, officers of the CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit led by Colonel Hansel M. Marantan raided the residence of businessman David Anthony Tan on 21 Lira Street in Meralco Village, Barangay San Juan, Taytay, Rizal.

Seized were a caliber 5.56 automatic rifle, two cal. .45 semi-automatic pistols, a cal. .22 rifle, 12-gauge shotgun, grenade, assorted live ammunition and magazines, two Philippine Army uniforms and identification cards.

The raid conducted by the CIDG-NCRFU with the assistance of officers from the National Capital Region Police Office, the PRO4-A Regional Intelligence Division, Rizal Police Provincial Office and Army intelligence agents was conducted on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 issued by Judge Glenda Mendoza-Ramos of the Calamba City Regional Trial Court Branch 36.

A 2nd raid in Bagong Bayan Extension in Bgy. Darangan in Binangonan, Rizal led to the arrest of Mamerto Dapusala Jr.,46, tagged as the leader of a gang of armed drug users posing as policemen to conduct bogus anti-illegal drug operations in order to extort money from their targets.

Brig. Gen. Caramat said the CIDG Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit 4-A led by Col. Marlon Santos stormed the suspect’s residence after months of surveillance they conducted on the latter.

“We have received information that the suspect and his gang members pose as members of the Binanganan Municipal Police Station each time they conduct bogus anti-drug operations wherein they abduct suspected drug dealers and users and even civilians before torturing them and threatening to file false criminal charges against their preys in the court if they will fail to heed their extortion demand,” said Brig. Gen. Caramat.

Members of the CIDG Rizal Provincial Field Unit led the service of a search warrant for violation of RA 10591 and illegal possession of explosives issued against the suspect by Judge Maria Josefina San Juan-Torres of the Morong RTC Branch 79 in Rizal.

Brig. Gen. Caramat said that recovered from the suspect were a cal. .45 pistol with two magazines containing 11 bullets, cal. .22 improvised pistol with a live ammunition, a gun replica and a grenade.

The official said the suspect and his cohorts have been identified as the armed men who forced their way into the residence of Marlon Medina and Angelica Villamer in Bgy. Bilibiran in Binangonan on June 28, 2022.

After handcuffing and blindfolding the victims, the suspects took them in a remote area in Bgy. Maybancal where one of them stabbed Medina in the neck and chest in the presence of Villamer.

The woman was later set free by the suspects after being threatened with death if she would not leave Binangonan.

RCIDU 4-A operatives also raided the house of Daniel Ramirez Jr., chairman of Bgy. Sawang in Lobo, Batangas and arrested the latter after the search yielded two unlicensed guns and several loaded magazines.

Brig. Gen. Caramat said the raid at the house of the barangay official in Sitio Kalamundingan was conducted on the basis of a search warrant for violation of RA 10591 issued by Judge Agripino Bravo of the Lucena City RTC Branch 55.

Seized during the raid were a cal. .380 pistol with two magazines containing 14 live ammunition, one cal. .45 pistol with three magazines and 80 live cal. .45 ammunition.

In Bgy. Santa Clara, Batangas City, RCIDU 4-A officers raided the house of Lucky Boy Habit and arrested him for illegal possession of a cal. .45 pistol with a magazine containing three bullets.

Judge Bravo authorized the raid, said the PNP-CIDG director.

Brig. Gen. Caramat said the suspect has been identified as a member of a gunrunning ring operating in the province prior to his arrest.

A 5th raid authorized by Judge Bravo in Bgy. Bignay 2 in Sariaya, Quezon led to the arrest of Teodolo Arzadon,62, and the recovery of a cal. .45 pistol a cal. .38 revolver and several live ammunition.

The suspect was tagged as a member of the Manalo Briones Crime Group engaged in gunrunning and gun-for-hire activities in the province.

Local policemen and National Bureau of Investigation agents also raided the suspect’s residence on September 19, 2020 and November 24, 2021 respectively but both search yielded negative results.