6 assault rifles, shabu seized from 3 Cotabato City residents

COTABATO CITY — The police seized six M16 assault rifles, assorted ammunition and shabu from three residents of Cotabato City in a raid before dawn Friday.

Brig. Gen Allan Nobleza, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said that the suspects, Abdulkahar Ampilan Balabaran, Mohaimen Ampilan Dimalen and their female companion, Namraida Ampilan Lumayon, are now detained. They will be prosecuted separately for illegal possession of firearms and narcotics.

The three suspects were immediately detained when a team of combined personnel of the Cotabato City Police Office and PRO-BAR found six assault rifles and shabu in their hideout in Pascual area in Barangay Rosary Heights Mother here that they raided at about 1 a.m. Friday.

Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were also involved in the operation that led to the confiscation of firearms and shabu from the suspects.

The police director said that the house of the suspects was subjected to an extensive search after the Cotabato CPO received reports about their alleged possession of firearms and peddling of shabu in this city and in nearby towns in Maguindanao del Sur.

Nobleza said PRO-BAR is thankful to the confidential informants.