4 ‘contract killers’ nabbed at Laguna checkpoint

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, Philippines – A suspected leader of a criminal group engaged in contract killing and three of his henchmen were arrested at a checkpoint in this city Monday night.

Mario Belmonte, said to be the leader of a gun-for-hire syndicate, and his companions – Bernard Gutierrez, John Eric Caranava and Rosauro Nuqui – yielded two 9mm pistols, a caliber .38 revolver and a caliber .45 pistol when they were nabbed in Barangay Bubuyan, said Chief Superintendent Edwin Erni, officer-in-charge of the Calabarzon police.

Erni said police also seized from the suspects several identification cards and sketches of their purported targets.

The four men were charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and violating the election gun ban before the city prosecutor’s office yesterday.

Investigators are verifying reports that the group is also involved in robbery and drug trafficking.