Cebu City cops probe possible links pointing to arrested drug suspect as allegedly a ‘noted hitman’

An 18-year-old, who was also tagged by police as a ‘noted hitman’ was nabbed with P81, 600 worth of illegal drugs and .38 revolver in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City on December 7. | CCPO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City police are checking if an 18-year-old man, who was caught with illegal drugs and an unlicensed gun, during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, is responsible for previous shootings in the city.

Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, Cebu City Police Office chief, said that they were investigating if the drug suspect, John Art Arabis, was allegedly a “noted hitman” and were allegedly responsible for these previous shootings.

Dalogdog said they were investigating this because they found out that Arabis was the one who allegedly tried to shoot policemen of the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC) who were conducting an anti-illegal gambling operation in Barangay Lorega San Miguel this city on Sept. 5, 2022.

“We are looking on other alleged incidents diri sa syudad sa Sugbu, aron masuta kung diin ang suspetsado [allegedly] involved,”  Dalogdog said.

(We are looking on other alleged incidents here in the city, so that we can ask the suspect involved where he was when these happened.)

The CCPO chief also said that they were not discounting the possibility that the arrested suspect had cohorts in the illegal activities that he was engaged in. 

Dalogdog said that for now these were what we were working on.

Aside from this investigation, the CCPO chief said that they had filed on Friday, Dec. 9, complaints against Arabis at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Arabis is facing complaints of selling and possession of illegal drugs, illegal possession of firearms and disobedience to authorities.

The suspect was arrested on Dec. 7 after he was caught with 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600 and a .38 caliber revolver.

Dalogdog said that Arabis also allegedly tried to resist arrest from the authorities during the buy-bust operation.

Meanwhile, Dalogdog further directed policemen in the city to continue the relentless operations against all forms of criminality.

“Dugang pa, gimandoan sila nga padayong pakusgon ang operasyon sa kapulisan aron mapadayon ang kaluwasan ug kahapsay sa publiko sa paghimo sa Singapore-like Cebu City,” Dalogdog added.

(Further, I ordered the policemen to continue to intensify police operations so that the peace and order in public places will be maintained to create a Singapore-like Cebu City.)

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