Authorities link American man to Ozamiz City robbery group

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Police authorities here have found last week several firearms and ammos from a house rented by a 44-year-old American man who was suspected to be connected with the notorious Ozamiz robbery group.

When the police opened the house, rented by the American, identified as a certain Daniel Xavier, they recovered two magazines for a .45-caliber pistol, seven bullets for a .38-caliber revolver, ammunition for a .45-caliber gun, a silencer, a fired cartridge for .45-caliber gun and some documents.

These finds prompted Sr. Insp. Edgardo Ordaniel, acting head of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), to raise the theory that Xavier could be a member of the Ozamiz robbery group who may be involved in the robbery of a pawnshop in this city last March.

The raid at the house at Eroreco Subdivision in Brgy. Mandalagan was effected after its owner, 36-year-old Indian national Chetan Rana, last Thursday asked Station 3 policemen for help to open her house, which she said was allegedly abandoned by the American.

Rana went to the house to collect the rent from the American, who he said has failed to pay the electric and water bills amounting to P10,000. When the rented house was opened, operatives found the guns and documents, police records show.

From the file photos presented to Rana by SPO1 Norlan Navarete of the CIDG, Rana positively identified Xavier as an American national from Nortolk Virginia, USA, who was born in Quezon City.

Xavier had previously rented an apartment in Brgy. Singcang-Airport also in this city, and a police raid of the place last March yielded two high powered firearms, several bullets and tools used in making fake identification (ID) cards, said the police.

The American, who earlier posed as a United Nations secret agent, was using fake IDs of the National Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as well as fictitious passports, police records show.

Ordaniel said he believed Xavier was a planner of the Ozamiz robbery group, based on the equipment used for making fake IDs and other documents, found and seized from his rented apartment.

The group of FBI, CIA and the Department of Homeland Security were also looking into the whereabouts of Xavier for using the fake IDs of these US government agencies, Ordaniel said.

Policemen also recovered Xavier's passport and IDs, one of which bore the logo of the CIA with the suspect's picture on it having the name of "John Nathan."

Xavier was also charged for carnapping in April when he took the car of the owner of the apartment he had rented in that area.

Ordaniel said Xavier was spotted in Iloilo several weeks ago and, on Tuesday, he learned that the suspect was seen in Zamboanga. He said he told the Police Regional Office 9 that the American has a pending warrant of arrest in Bacolod.

The BCPO had placed banks and establishments under tight watch following the report on Xavier. Station chiefs were ordered to monitor their respective areas of responsibility and to deploy troopers in plain clothes to areas where the robbery group may strike, added Ordaniel. (FREEMAN)