A SUSPECTED manufacturer of homemade firearms was raided by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)–Cebu Provincial Field Unit based on a search warrant issued by the court.
The operation was carried out from 2:01 a.m. to 4:33 a.m. Friday, April 25, 2025, in Sitio Lantawan, Barangay Cahumayan, Danao City.
The subject of the search warrant was 46-year-old Alejandro Castro Jr., who claimed to be a farmer and a resident of Sitio Lantawan, Barangay Cahumayan.
During the operation led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Korret, CIDG-Cebu Provincial Field Unit personnel seized four .45 caliber pistols, their magazines, one .38 caliber revolver, and several rounds of ammunition.
The CIDG had received information from previously arrested individuals who claimed they bought their firearms from a local gunsmith in Barangay Cahumayan.
This prompted CIDG-Cebu to conduct a surveillance operation in the barangay, during which Castro was identified as a suspected manufacturer of illegal firearms.
As a result, the police applied for and were granted a search warrant, which they immediately executed.
CIDG-Central Visayas revealed that they are intensifying efforts to seize loose firearms in the region as the National and Local Elections on May 12, 2025, draw near, to prevent their use by criminal groups.
Aside from Danao City, other areas in Central Visayas are also being monitored following reports of other suspected gunsmiths operating in the region.
The crackdown on loose firearms is part of the CIDG’s flagship program, “Oplan Paglalansag Omega.”
The suspect is currently in custody at the CIDG-Central Visayas custodial facility. (AYB)