Chinese with own armory nabbed at casino

MANILA, Philippines - A Chinese man with a cache of several high-powered guns, silencers, ammunition and grenades in his car was arrested at the parking lot of a casino in Pasay City yesterday.

Jerry Sy, 46, was reportedly about to stab Joseph Ang, 58, a casino agent of the Resorts World Manila at the casino’s VIP basement parking area when police officers led by Senior Inspector Vicente Barrameda arrived at past 1 a.m.

The police officers responded to a call about an altercation at the casino’s parking area, according to reports.

Resorts World Manila said in a statement that their security personnel apprehended Sy, saying he “attempted to enter” the casino premises.

“Our resort security personnel immediately alerted the proper authorities. Police authorities confiscated the deadly weapons and took the suspect into their custody for investigation,” the casino’s statement read.

Resorts World Manila said they “have heightened our security measures as we continue to operate normally.”

Dropped magazines

Upon seeing the policemen, Sy allegedly ran toward his white Honda Accord (conduction sticker DL-5101), parked at the casino’s VIP parking area. Police officers said they ran after Sy when he dropped two 9mm magazines.

When his car was searched, the responding police officers found a 9mm Glock pistol, a .22 caliber Bersa Ramos Mejia pistol (serial number SN- 034052) with a magazine loaded with three bullets, a .380 caliber pistol without serial numbers, a .22 caliber Beretta pistol (serial number DAA443327) with a loaded magazine and an attached silencer, two other silencers, a 9mm assault pistol with a loaded extended magazine, three fragmentation grenades, two boxes containing 100 bullets, and a pouch bag containing 60 .22 caliber bullets.

Also found in suspect’s car were gloves, a stun gun, a hatchet, various knives, a smoke grenade and metal spikes, police said.

SPD director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte said they are conducting a background check on Sy.

Assassin?

Villacorte said they are looking into the angle that Sy is an enforcer or an assassin working with a gang with links to casino activities. He said that initial investigation showed that Sy had attacked Ang over casino debts.

Sy, who is now detained at the Pasay police headquarters, refused to talk to investigators. “He is not cooperating. He is gesturing that he could not speak English or Filipino. We are waiting for his lawyers to arrive,” Villacorte said.

Investigators are preparing to file charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives against Sy. – With Rainier Allan Ronda