Bukidnon hot cars linked to gun smuggling?

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is verifying the contents of the so-called black book that allegedly listed the clients of a car dealer involved in the sale of luxury vehicles stolen from the US.

The NBI said the list also detailed several personalities who have links to international terrorist groups supplying the car dealer with high-powered firearms and ammunition.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is doing its own investigation of Lynard Allan Bigcas for allegedly selling high-powered firearms in Mindanao.

AFP spokesman Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez said the military would be coordinating its efforts with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to focus on the alleged gun smuggling operations of Bigcas.

Rodriguez stressed they would consider the arms smuggling activities of Bigcas as a threat to national security.

The PNP would also focus on the alleged smuggling and sale of stolen vehicles by Bigcas, according to Director Arturo Cacdac Jr., chief of the police Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM).

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), on the other hand, said they are still verifying reports on how Bigcas was able to import high-powered firearms into the country.

“The initial information that I received was that only cars were found and that a car smuggling syndicate might be involved. But this is still only an initial report and hopefully, we would have a more substantial report by next week,” BOC Deputy Commissioner Horacio Suansing said.

Authorities are hunting down Bigcas after a joint team of NBI agents, the local police and representatives from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided a warehouse in a remote town in Bukidnon on Wednesday and seizing a number of luxury vehicles.

The raid was prompted by the complaint of Hollywood screenwriter Skip Woods in claiming his big bike was stolen in Houston, Texas last year.

Woods initially sought the help of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to track down his missing bike.

Woods also hired the services of a private investigation firm that traced the custom bike to the Philippines.

What began as a search for the high-end motorcycle led to the discovery of more than 20 luxury vehicles, all reportedly stolen in the US.

An official revealed Bigcas could be using his trade as car dealer as a front for his illegal activities, including gun running.

NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula said they have yet to verify the contents of the black book seized by lawmen during the raid in Bukidnon.

Apart from the warehouse in Bukidnon, lawmen also raided Bigcas’ residence in Cagayan de Oro City.

NBI spokesman Cecilio Zamora said Bigcas is a permanent resident of Houston, Texas but remains an active member of a motorcycle group in Cagayan de Oro City.

The Houston police traced the bike theft to a gang that transports expensive American-made motorcycles to Asia via Mexico and Los Angeles. The bike had been spotted in Cagayan de Oro ridden by Bigcas.

The NBI later learned Bigcas also owned a fleet of imported luxury vehicles.

The NBI revealed Bigcas is also importing high-powered firearms such as M4 carbine assault rifles and selling them to the highest bidder in Mindanao.

The NBI, however, declined to reveal the names in the black book, hinting that some of them are from influential families in Mindanao.

Bigcas may have been supplying firearms and ammunition to political warlords, sources said.

It was also reported that Bigcas has sought refuge with the powerful Dimaporo clan in Mindanao. The Dimaporos have already denied knowing Bigcas.

A member of Orion Support Inc., the private investigation firm hired by Woods to track down the stolen motorcycle, revealed Bigcas has been into gun smuggling for the past years.

He revealed the lawmen who raided the warehouse and the residence of Bigcas were able to seize a receipt purportedly showing the suspect was able to sell P1-million worth of M4 assault rifles.

The NBI report showed the raiders were able to seize from the house of Bigcas in Talakag, Bukidnon a 12-gauge shotgun (M&F Zabala HNOS SRC-EIBAR made in Spain); 130 rounds live 12-gauge ammunition; 91 rounds live M-16 ammunition; four M-16 magazines; 129 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition; and 290 rounds of 9 mm ammunition.

Also recovered in the Bukidnon raid was a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (KFA-635); a Chevrolet Tahoe; one Chevrolet Corvette; one Yamaha YZF 450; one Yamaha YZF 285; two Honda CRF 150F; one Suzuki GSX 1000; one unit RZR Ranger; and two all terrain vehicles (ATVs).

Lawmen also seized one M-16 magazine and 16 rounds of M-16 ammunition during the raid at the Cagayan de Oro City residence of Bigcas.

Also seized was a Martin Brothers Chopper; a Kawasaki Ninja; a Suzuki GSX 1000; and a Harley Davidson “Big Dog” motorcycle.

Complicity

Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said they would investigate if some Customs personnel could have been involved in the importation of the luxury vehicles and motorcycles.

“We are waiting for the results of the investigation being conducted by the NBI.

We do not know when these vehicles arrived. The information I received, so far, was that they arrived a year ago, that being the case I assumed the position only nine months ago,” Alvarez said.

From the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Alvarez said they could learn if the vehicles had been registered.

“Initial reports showed that there were no import records so there is that possibility that they were misdeclared. So if it is a misdeclaration, then there is no payment of duties and taxes that will serve as supporting documents for the issuance certificate of payment (CP). If they were registered, there is a possibility that there are people from LTO who may be involved,” he added.

Alvarez pointed out there are no vessels that travel directly from the US to Cagayan de Oro, therefore raising the possibility that the vehicles from the US could have taken a side trip to another country, such as South Korea, before they were delivered to a port in the Philippines.

“One possible scenario is that it came from South Korea where they would change the import papers before it arrived anywhere in the Philippines. It has not yet been established if the vehicles arrived in Manila, Cebu or a port in Mindanao,” he said.

Northern Mindanao regional police director Chief Superintendent Conrado Laza said Bigcas could not have acted alone in the smuggling of the vehicles.

“It could be an international syndicate as Bigcas could not be acting alone. He did not carry those vehicles all by himself to Talakag. You have to go through a very long process involving many agencies before you can bring vehicles from the US to the country,” Laza said.

According to Laza, the US authorities had taken interest in Bigcas’ illegal activities.

“I understand the (US) Homeland Security is also looking into the case because of the possibility that weapons and firearms could have also been illegally shipped to the country using the route that was used to bring the vehicles to the country,” Laza said.

Alvarez also noted Bigcas’ illicit activities could have flourished with the help of some corrupt government officials.

Alvarez noted reports that for five years, the FBI and the US Homeland Security have been tracking Bigcas, tagging him as a car smuggler and a weapons dealer in the Philippines.

These luxury vehicles and high-powered guns which Bigcas has been selling to the Muslim secessionist groups and political clans in Mindanao all came from the US through his Latino contacts. – With Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Edith Regalado