Guns for gangs: NBI arrests 2 in buy-bust

Two men who allegedly supply firearms to armed robbery groups were apprehended over the weekend by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in an entrapment operation.

NBI Acting Director Nestor Mantaring presented yesterday suspects Salvador Morante, a gunsmith, and Reynaldo Marzan, both of Cristobal street, Sampaloc, Manila.

Morante works at a gun repair shop in Sampaloc. The two are cousins.

Operatives of the NBI-National Capital Region (NCR) seized five caliber .22 pistols, two caliber .38 revolvers and a caliber .45 pistol.

"These guns are sold to robbers, holdup men and even youth gangs. Most holduppers and teenage gangsters prefer the Magnum .22 pistols because they are handy and can easily be concealed," Mantaring said.

He pointed out that a holdupper can sit beside his victim and point the pistol without drawing much attention.

NBI-NCR Executive Officer Ferdinand Lavin said the Magnum .22 caliber pistol is the preferred weapon of petty criminals these days because the firearm is not easily detected at police checkpoints and security checks by authorities.

The NBI said most of the seized firearms come from Cebu. A Magnum .22 pistol costs only P2,000, but the suspects sell them for P3,000 a piece.

NBI-NCR Regional Director Ruel Lasala said that a member of an armed robbery group earlier told agents that the two suspects were engaged in the selling handguns.

Among the suspects’ clients are the Bahala na Gang, Sputnik Gang, and youth groups such as the True Brown Style, Charlie Brown, Sandugo and Family Verde, all patterned after street gangs in the US.

Clashes between street gangs in Tondo and Sampaloc, Manila often result to shootouts.

Lasala said many of the groups buying the illegal firearms are responsible for robberies at cellular phone shops, passenger jeepneys and convenience stores.

The NBI-NCR set up the entrapment operation against the two suspects last June 24 following a test-buy. An undercover agent proceeded to Marzan’s house in Sampaloc, where a deal was made.

The suspects were counting the marked money, when the undercover agent gave the pre-arranged signal for other agents to arrest them.