2 soldiers arrested for arms trafficking in Zambo town

PAGADIAN CITY – An army captain and a corporal were arrested by security forces on gun running charges after they allegedly sold weapons to undercover agents before dawn Tuesday in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, officials said.

Officials said Capt. Christopher Eslava, 41; and Cpl. Ryan Larot, 31, sold the following weapons - three M4 automatic rifles, two 9mm Glock pistols, one rifle grenade, three 40 mm grenade; six magazines for M16 automatic rifle and three magazines for .40-caliber rifle - all worth over P1.2 million.

The operation that led to the arrest of the duo was mounted by police and military units in the village of Sanito in Ipil town. Officials did not say the suspects’ unit, but Eslava is a native of North Cotabato’s Makilala town while Larot is from Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province.

Officials said the joint operation was “intelligence-driven” and carefully mounted by agents to capture Eslava and Larot.  It was unknown whether the weapons and grenades they sold to undercover agents belonged to the military arsenal or if they had sold armaments to rebel groups or crime syndicates in the South.

 

The soldiers are being held by the police in the town of Ipil. (Mindanao Examiner)

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