Quiapo’s most wanted eludes arrest

Police failed to arrest the most wanted criminal in Quiapo, Manila yesterday morning but found and seized explosives, bladed weapons and firearm parts during a raid of his house.

Operatives of the Western Police District (WPD)’s District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU), led by Senior Inspector Raymund Liguden, assisted by a SWAT team and officials of the Muslim Affairs Office, swooped down on a house along P. Casal street in Quiapo, where a certain Tommy Imam Pundagar reportedly resides.

Liguden said Pundagar is described by the Islamic community as a notorious gangster in their locality who has brought shame to the Muslim community.

Pundagar, who is out on bail for murder which he allegedly committed with his brother Mamaki, has been described to be a notorious holdupman, car thief and drug pusher, according to Liguden.

Mamaki is currently in jail.

Concerned Muslim residents had complained to police that Pundagar had been keeping a large cache of firearms, explosives and illegal drugs in his residence.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Enrico Lanzanas of Regional Trial Court Branch 7, the raiders struck at about 6:20 a.m. However, the raiding cops failed to locate Pundagar.

During the raid at Pundagar’s shanty, police operatives discovered two secret doors that connected to other shanties, which Pundagar may have used in his escape.

A search yielded a fragmentation grenade, four bottles with gasoline intended as molotov bombs, spare part for an Armscor shotgun, the slide of a caliber .45 pistol, several bolos and other bladed weapons, shabu paraphernalia and a plastic pistol case box.

The raid was coordinated with barangay kagawads Lai Titiban and Mohammad Bulig of Barangay 647, Zone 67 of Manila’s sixth district.

Charges of illegal possession of explosives and shabu paraphernalia were filed against Pundagar, even as police continue a manhunt against the elusive suspect.

Liguden said the raid was an offshoot of the directive of WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong on the intensified anti-criminality campaign in the city of Manila.