Soldiers, cop among 5 arrested for alleged gun running

COTABATO CITY – Five people, including two soldiers and a policeman, were arrested on suspicion they were selling illegal weapons in the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat in the Muslim province of Maguindanao, reports said on Wednesday.

According to the Philippines Defense Forces Forum, the suspects were arrested in the village of Tamontaka on Tuesday. 

It did not say whether police or military were involved in the operation that resulted to the capture of the suspects, but claimed that two of the men are members of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and another is cop assigned with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Muslim autonomous Region. 

Photos posted by the Philippines Defense Forces Forum on social media show the weapons seized from five alleged gunrunners, among them two soldiers and a policeman, in Maguindanao province on October 12, 2021.

The reports said assorted firearms were seized from the suspected gunrunners and among these were one three automatic rifles, one M4 Carbine rifle, two .45-caliber pistols, three 9mm pistols, and a cellular phone, some P500,000 in cash and identification cards. 

No other details were made available by the Philippines Defense Forces Forum, but it posted photos of seized weapons on its Facebook page which can be accessed from this link: https://www.facebook.com/philippinesdefense/posts/4655675124548067. 

There were no immediate statements either from the AFP or the PNP about the arrest of the suspects. (Mindanao Examiner)