Four members of a big-time gunrunners’ group were arrested Friday night but their leader escaped during a buy-bust operation that also led to the confiscation of high-powered firearms and ammunitions in Barangay Bagong Lipunan, Quezon City, according to Chief Inspector Jeffrey Bilaro, public information chief of the Quezon City Police District.
Bilaro said the gang has been “active for the past 10 years, operating under the cover of “Tin Wo Rock Entreprise” registered under the name of Ryan Christopher Obra, the principal target of the operation who escaped.
He said the company was registered as a wholesaler of packaging materials and office supplies with the corresponding business permits.
Police said Obra’s group was supplying crime groups with weapons.
In his report, QCPD’s Special Operations Unit commander Superintendent Jay Agcaoili said the gangmen’s arrest was the result of about a month of surveillance arising from a tip from a concerned citizen.
He identified the arrested suspects as Carlo Estoya y Santillan, 41, private security officer and resident of Kampo 2, Talipapa, QC; Eduardo Obra y Rebancos, 57, assistant manager of the company and father of the escaped leader with address at 16-A Santolan Road, Bagong Lipunan, QC; Ryan Quimahan y Payla, 19, houseboy of Obra; and Benky Paya y Blanco, 20, housemaid of Obra.
Agcaoili said the raided apartment was being leased by the group where payments and other transactions with clients were being done.
Seized from the suspects were an M-16 Armalite assault rifle, 5 shotguns, a caliber .45 pistol, 20 caliber .38 revolvers, 4 handheld two-way radios, 6 cellphones, ammunition of different calibers, and other evidence, including the “boodle money” used in the buy-bust.
“The deal was finalized yesterday for completion in a convenience store on Santolan Road, but the seller, suspect Estoya, after ascertaining the authenticity of the money involved, led the police poseur-buyer to the house of suspect Obra, accepted the payment which unknown to him had been replaced with boodle money and offered the twenty .38 caliber revolvers to the undercover cop,”” Agcaoili added.
“Exiting the house, the undercover agent gave the signal and the raiding team converged on the house, resulting in the arrest and seizure. The suspects are in detention at Camp Karingal undergoing interrogation. Charges of gun running and illegal possession of firearms are being readied for filing with the city prosecutor’s office” he said.