THREE men were arrested after police seized firearms and suspected shabu during a checkpoint operation in Sitio Kapatagan, Barangay Perrelos, Carcar City, at around 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
The suspects were identified as Henry Cabungcal Racoma, 30, of Sitio Camagayan, Barangay Perrelos, Carcar City; Jerime Reponoya Casuejo, 38, of Tubod, Victoria Village, Barangay Valladolid, Carcar City; and Jannel Cui, 26, of P. Del Corro Street, Barangay Poblacion I, Carcar City.
Seized during the operation were an Intratec Miami FL Model TEC-KG9 firearm, three magazines, 23 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a .22-caliber Black Widow revolver loaded with three rounds of ammunition, a Honda Beat motorcycle, 77 packets of suspected shabu, mobile phones and other pieces of evidence.
According to the Carcar City Police Station, officers were conducting a checkpoint when the suspects approached on a Honda Beat motorcycle.
Police said the driver, Racoma, appeared visibly nervous, prompting officers to inspect the bag he was carrying. During the search, police recovered the TEC-KG9 firearm and several packets of suspected shabu from the bag.
A subsequent frisk of the two passengers yielded the .22-caliber revolver and additional packets of suspected shabu.
Police said the suspects claimed they had come from the municipality of San Fernando to retrieve the bag containing the firearms and illegal drugs before transporting them to Carcar City. They allegedly admitted that the suspected shabu was intended for sale, while the firearms were meant for protection.
The suspects, however, refused to identify the source of the firearms and illegal drugs. They told investigators that they had parked their motorcycle in front of a church in San Fernando and, upon returning, found the bag already there.
Investigators said Racoma had been on the police's watchlist as a drug personality and had been under surveillance for several weeks before he was intercepted at the checkpoint.
Police are conducting further investigation to determine why the suspects were carrying high-powered firearms.
The seized weapons will also undergo ballistic examination to determine whether they were used in previous shooting incidents in Carcar City. (AYB)
