Cops pursuing wanted person discover large arms cache

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Police forces pursuing a man wanted for murder stumbled on a large number of firearms, ammunition and explosive inside a famous resort in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, a security official said Wednesday.

Police intelligence operatives were supposed to arrest on Friday Alfonso Abne alias Along, who had been spotted in several occasions at the Dakak Park and Beach Resort and was allegedly maintaining a hideout at Sitio Lactusan, Barangay Taguilon, Dapitan City.

Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, spokesman of Police Regional Office 9 (PRO), said Abne was even spotted by the operatives during the operation at an open kitchen beside a cottage at the resort.

The suspect seemed to have sensed the approaching policemen and escaped.

The policemen, however, did not leave the area empty-handed after discovering several firearms from the resort.

Huesca said the arresting unit stumbled upon a large number of firearms inside the cottage including a baby armalite, a .45 caliber Armscor hi-cap, four pieces of .45 Colt pistols, and two units .45 pistol Colt defender compact.

Policemen also recovered several magazines of various fits for .45 pistol with rounds of ammunition, magazine for M16 rifle and four long magazines for AK47, all loaded with ammunition.

Also included in the recovered items were 22 pieces of 12-gauge ammunition, 40 pieces .9mm ammunition, 9 boxes of cal 5.56 (M16) ammunitions, 2 ammunition metal boxes containing with M16 caliber 5.56 ammunitions, components of improvised explosive devised (IED) such as 1 piece non-electric blasting cap, one rolled red detonating cord, three pieces of time fuse, nails, and granules of black powder and the motorcycle that had been previously used by the suspect.

Huesca said a one person identified later as Dindo Dulanas Paglalunan was arrested after being caught in possession of a .357 revolver with five live ammunitions.

The suspect has been detained and placed under further tactical interrogation at the regional police office. A case of illegal possession of firearms has been filed against him.