Businessman in hot water for weapons found inside his truck

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Authorities nabbed a banana plantation owner during a highway inspection in Magpet town in North Cotabato for carrying unlicensed firearms and an explosive Saturday, according to local police authorities.

Sr. Insp. Felix Fornan, chief of Magpet PNP, identified the suspect as Zaldy Pareja, 32, and owner of a five-hectare banana plantation in Barangay Pangaoan, Magpet.

Also arrested was his 17-year old helper, who was later released by the police for lack of evidence.

Fornan said they apprehended the suspect after they saw the muzzle of a rifle, exposed from under a tarpaulin cover on the bed of his Nissan pickup truck, during a routine highway checkpoint.

Further inspection of Pareja’s truck showed that the rifle had been concealed inside a bunch of bananas. It was later found to be loaded with four bullets. The rifle was a US-made sniper rifle.

Inside the crew cab, a fragmentation grenade, a bag containing a two-way radio, a tablet, Android phones, digital camera and other communications gadgets were discovered by the police.

And when Pareja was frisked, a loaded Colt. 45-caliber pistol was found tucked in his waist.

On questioning, Pareja said the rifle had been in his possession since February after it was left by a friend, whom he refused to identify.

He also said he used the rifle and his pistol to secure his plantation from criminal elements.

But investigators thought otherwise.

They believed Pareja was engaged in illegal arms trade and that he was about to deliver the rifle to a prospective buyer in a place in North Cotabato before his arrest.