Navotas cops bust crime gang; 8 arrested

MANILA, Philippines - An alleged leader of a robbery gang was arrested along with seven others after they reportedly robbed a fishing firm of P1.3 million in payroll money in Navotas City Friday, a police official said yesterday.

Carlo Rodriguez, 31, tagged as the leader of the Abu Bunso gang, yielded a Super .38 pistol with three magazines and 17 bullets, according to Navotas police chief Senior Superintendent Florendo Quibuyen.

A hand grenade, Uzi and Ingram machine pistols, a .38 revolver, a .9mm pistol, ammunition, a sword, three knives, a kilo of marijuana and a sachet of shabu and drug paraphernalia were seized from Edward de la Cruz, 25; Jojo Ciprus, 24; Julius Genese, 23; Niel Andres, 26; Christopher Gozon, 31; Dennis Grande, 34; and Nomer Purtugal, 24, all of Navotas.

Lawmen also recovered from the suspects the complete uniforms of two active Northern Police District (NPD) police officers.

Philippine Mariner operations assistant Roland Lim had just withdrawn the P1.3 million when two men on two motorcycles blocked the owner-type jeep he was riding in Barangay Daanghari at around 4:40 p.m. and took the money at gunpoint. The suspects sped off toward Kalye Impyerno.

Three hours later, police raided the suspects’ shanty, arresting the eight men and confiscating their weapons. The lawmen, however, failed to recover the money.

NPD intelligence chief Superintendent Remus Medina deployed yesterday his own agents to confirm reports that Rodriguez, allegedly a former member of a rebel hit squad turned hired gun, and his group are also involved in other high-profile cases in northern Metro Manila.

Medina is also looking into the possible involvement of the two NPD police officers, whose uniforms were recovered at the suspects’ lair, in the group’s illegal activities.

Medina said that the kind of weapons confiscated from the suspects indicated they were “no ordinary” criminals.