JOINT military and police operatives have arrested a courier of a gun running syndicate and seized high-powered firearms in North Cotabato, the military reported Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Lieutenant General Roy Galido, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, identified the arrested gun-running courier as Norudin Usop, who was arrested around 9 a.m. Thursday, May 4, in Grebona village, Libungan, North Cotabato.
Galido said the joint military and police forces were conducting checkpoint operations when they flagged down a car driven by Usop for inspection.
He said that Usop was accompanied by his wife, Guianbao Demalelai, and their two children who are both minors at that time.
Galido said that confiscated from the car of Usop were 10 M-16 Armalite rifles, two handheld radios and gun parts of M4 and M-16 rifles.
Usop and his family were traveling to Cotabato City from Manila via Surigao City. They were intercepted by the operating troops while they were traversing the Bukidnon-Alamada-Libungan Highway.
Galido said that Usop was a courier of a gun-running group, who are selling illegal firearms to private armed groups and other armed groups in North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces.
Galido said investigation is ongoing to unmask the mastermind of the gun-running network.
“Your armed forces continue to assist the police in the intensified conduct of law enforcement operations to deter crimes and contain lawless elements operating in our area of operation,” he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)