MANILA, Philippines - Police nabbed on Thursday seven suspected members of a criminal syndicate engaged in illegal drugs and robbery during a raid at a slum area in Quezon City.
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Kamuning police and the Regional Public Safety Battalion, served five search warrants that led to the arrest of the suspects, believed to be part of the Bituin group.
But lawmen were not able to arrest the gang leader, a certain Abdu Bayan Abdullah, who was not around during the raid.
Police identified the suspects as Dick Cheney Salunoy, Anjo Rosales, Ibrahim Salindal, Efren Valerio, Pepe Rafael, Chrismar Calma and Onte Radzak.
The CIDG said that Salunoy, Salindal, and Abdullah, have standing search warrants served by 80 policemen around 5:30 a.m. at a slum area along BIR Road in Barangay Central, Quezon City. The three were involved in gun-for-hire, robbery, car theft and the illegal drug trade.
The Bituin Group operates in Metro Manila, police said.
Police seized several handguns including four cal. 45 pistols, two cal. 38 revolvers, a cal. 22 revolver.
Authorities also recovered several sachets of shabu and a marijuana plant.
Salunoy and Salindal will be charged with illegal possession of firearms and drug raps.
In October last year, authorities arrested three suspected members of the Bituin Group in Caloocan City, seizing three suspected members recovering several guns, stolen motorcycles, shabu and P1.3 million cash.