Illegal firearms, ammunition dealer in Maguindanao del Sur busted

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The police seized hundreds of rounds of ammunition of various calibers and four .45 caliber pistols from an illegal dealer, said to have peddled his merchandise to local terrorists, entrapped in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur on Friday.

The suspect, Kagi Kautin, 49, is now locked in a detention facility here of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region that laid that sting that led to his arrest.

Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Saturday that Kautin peacefully turned himself in to CIDG-BAR agents, led by Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca, when he noticed that he transacted with non-uniformed operatives in a tradeoff in Barangay Kitango in Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

Huesca said the operation that resulted in the arrest of Kautin was laid with the help of different units of PRO-BAR under Nobleza.

Villagers had asked policemen involved in the operation to probe Kautin's having possibly sold ammunition and firearms to members of the outlawed Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Fighters in towns around Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

Huesca said Nobleza separately told reporters that they are thankful to confidential informants residing in Datu Saudi Ampatuan for providing information pertaining to the illegal activity of Kautin, enabling the CIDG-BAR to clamp him down.

Huesca said they are to prosecute Kautin for violation of Republic Act 10591 that prohibits possession or trading of firearms and ammunition and explosives without permission from the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police.