Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), said his men are now hot on the trail of other members of the syndicate named by suspects Cairoden Nanak, 44; Alvin Cadongog, 27, and Jomar Cusain, 23, during tactical interrogation.
"They revealed during tactical interrogation the extent of their gunrunning and drug operations not only in Quezon City but also in other parts of Metro Manila and we are now following up on the leads they gave us," said Superintendent James Brillantes, QCPD intelligence chief.
Brillantes said a confidential informant tipped them of the illegal activities of Nanak and they arranged the purchase of a handgun.
However, when his men were inside a fastfood restaurant near Philcoa at 7:20 p.m. last March 31, the informant spotted Cadongog and Cusain at another table. The tipster told police the duo was with Nanak and were involved in drug pushing activities in Quezon City.
Nanak was collared by Inspector Dante Yang, of the QCPD intelligence division, after he handed over a stainless caliber .22 revolver in exchange for P6,000.
Another team member, PO3 Reynaldo Yap, then took off his bull cap, a pre-arranged signal for the completion of the transaction with Nanak.
PO3 Noel Fabia approached Cadongog and Cusain, introduced himself as a policeman and announced their arrest for being an accomplice of Nanak.
When Fabia frisked Cadongog, he found a sachet of shabu containing some 100 grams.
Cusain yielded a digital weighing scale.
During tactical interrogation, the trio admitted they belong to a big-time gunrunning and drug syndicate operating in Metro Manila.
They claimed they got their supply of shabu from a financier in Quiapo, Manila.
Brillantes said they are preparing appropriate charges against Nanak, Cadongog and Cusain before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office. They are now detained at the QCPD detention center in Camp Karingal. – Non Alquitran, Perseus Echeminada