SINGAPORE/MANILA (The Straits Times/ANN): Two Singaporean men were among three suspects arrested in the Philippines for the illegal possession and sale of firearms, said Philippine police on April 19.
The two Singaporean men and a Filipino identified as a “protection agent” were caught in possession of 10 loose firearms and one replica firearm during a police sting operation in Valenzuela City in Metro Manila on April 17, said the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Police posing as buyers were able to buy four firearms from the trio in a “test buy”, said the CIDG before they proceeded with the arrest.
The Singaporeans had been travelling repeatedly to the Philippines as tourists, said the CIDG.
“Sometimes they go to gatherings, and once they are drunk enough, they brag about their guns,” CIDG’s detective and special operations unit deputy chief Michael Visco told local broadcaster GMA News.
The three men had been tracked for months after police validated information that they were selling firearms in the Philippine capital and nearby provinces amid a crackdown on private armed groups and gun possession.
When approached by local media after their arrest, the two Singaporeans declined to comment.
The Philippines has from Jan 12 to June 11 enforced a ban on members of the public carrying firearms outside their residence or place of business to minimise election-related violence ahead of the nation heading to the polls on May 12.
Among the 10 firearms seized were four M-15 rifles, an MK-9 sub-machine gun, a MKGs 9mm rifle, and six pistols of varying calibres. A large number of gun magazines and live ammunition were also confiscated.
The CIDG said that with the confiscation of these loose firearms and apprehension of the possessors, the police have significantly suppressed the so-called “guns, goons, and gold” of Philippine politics.
The arrested suspects have been charged with violating the firearms and ammunition regulation act. They each face a 40-year jail term if convicted.
The police are also investigating if there are other members in the syndicate.
The Straits Times has contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information. - The Straits Times/ANN
