Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. (center), Philippine National Police’s Deputy Chief for Operations Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo (left), and CIDG chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. (right) during a press conference at the Media Center of PNP Headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Photo screen-grabbed from the PNP official Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — Authorities uncovered and seized 85 firearms and more than a hundred rounds of ammunition during a search operation conducted on March 20 in the residence of a Taiwanese national in Makati City.
Specifically, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said Tuesday that operatives recovered 13 rifles, seven submachine guns, 65 handguns, ammunition, and hand accessories.
He added that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) confiscated the firearms in the residence of Jiang Zhang Xiadong, alias Liu Ming Chung – a suspected ringleader of a Taiwanese crime syndicate and a fugitive.
“The search last night is a follow-up operation to an earlier police operation last March 1, launched by CIDG, Makati City Police Station, Bureau Of Immigration, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, through information provided by law enforcement counterparts from the Taipei Economic And Cultural Office that successfully implemented warrants of deportation and mission order against three Taiwanese in Makati City that also led to the confiscation of four pistols and a submachine gun,” Abalos said in a press briefing.
CIDG chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said their surveillance for several weeks led to the arrest of Wu Jheng Long or Wu Chang, Chen Chien-Ning or Chang Yung-Han or Chang Yung Han, Yang Zong Bao, and Chen Chun Yu, a juvenile on March 1 – allegedly members of a drug syndicate.
“Ito ‘yung pinakahuli, he (Xiadong) was not around, so ‘yun po ‘yung subject ng follow-up operation namin,” he said.
(Xiadong was the last, but he was not in his residence, so this is the subject of our follow-up operation.)
Caramat revealed that police had already tracked some of the gun owners.
“As of now, I cannot reveal the name of these persons deep within our investigation. Dapat mag-explain sila paano napunta sa kamay ng dayuhan itong mga baril na ito,” he said.
(The gun owners should explain how these foreigners obtained them.)
Caramat said the suspects would face complaints for violating Republic Act 10591 or illegally possessing firearms.
He added that more cases would be filed against Xiadong since he is an undocumented immigrant and not a registered firearm owner. Caramat believes he is still in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the CIDG chief disclosed that the arrested suspects were turned over to the Bureau of Immigration and will be deported on Wednesday, March 22.
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