Illegal Gun Manufacturing Sites Dismantled in Danao City
CEBU CITY — Authorities successfully dismantled several illegal gun manufacturing sites in Danao City, northern Cebu, saving many lives in the process. According to sources familiar with the matter, an intensified operation targeting illegal gun manufacturing sites was conducted from March 21 to May 20.
During this two-month campaign, police dismantled 15 illegal gun manufacturing sites in the mountainous barangays of Suba, Cahungan, and Cahumayan. The operation was led by the regional police force in Central Visayas in cooperation with the Regional Mobile Force Battalion.
Seizure of Firearms and Equipment
Police confiscated gun-making materials along with several unfinished firearms. These operations aimed to disrupt the production and distribution networks of illegal firearms in Danao City, which reportedly accounts for 80 percent of unlicensed guns seized in the region.
Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan, the regional police chief, explained that these illegal workshops were often set up in remote locations to avoid detection. “We would like to solicit their cooperation to at least wipe out these menace because they have the obligation, accountability, responsibility to ensure that no illegal activities, no criminal activities are happening under their nose especially in their areas of responsibility,” he said.
Links to Terrorist Activities
Further investigations uncovered that some of the guns made in Danao ended up in the hands of an Indonesian terrorist. The suspect, along with two Filipinos, was arrested on January 7 in Barangay Nalus, Kiamba town, Sarangani province. Authorities seized long firearms loaded on a motorized boat intended for transport to Indonesia.
Reports indicate the firearms, valued at approximately PHP 500,000, originated from illegal workshops in Danao. The Indonesian suspect is reportedly affiliated with the Papuan National Army and the Free Papua Organization, groups involved in separatist and terrorist activities.
Call for Community Cooperation
The police have appealed to barangay officials in Danao City to aid in the campaign against loose firearms. Maranan warned that officials who refuse to cooperate may face legal charges under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
This collaborative effort aims to rid the area of illegal gun manufacturing and trafficking, enhancing public safety and preventing further criminal acts.
For more news and updates on illegal gun manufacturing sites, visit Filipinokami.com.