Heavily armed man caught in checkpoint

AUTHORITIES manning a checkpoint in Dalican village, Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Maguindanao del Norte arrested a man who was caught with two high-powered rifles and ammunition inside his vehicle, an official said Monday.

LtCol. Nelson Madiwo, Datu Odin Sinsuat police chief, said Norodin Lumanggal, 37, of Dinaig village in the same town was nabbed on Sunday night following an inspection of his minivan at the checkpoint.

Madiwo said authorities found inside the vehicle a Colt AR-15 rifle, an M16 rifle, extra magazines loaded with bullets, handheld radios, and two mobile phones.

He added the police and military were conducting an anti-criminality campaign when they noticed the minivan stopping in a dimly-lit area, which made the authorities suspicious.

The driver, Madiwo said, alighted from the car and proceeded to a roadside car wash.

When approached and questioned by the police, Lumanggal claimed he was an escort of an unnamed education official in Maguindanao.

Madiwo said he asked Lumanggal to submit the van for inspection, and it was then the police found long firearms inside the car.

The suspect is now detained at the Datu Odin Sinsuat police station custodial facility.

Meanwhile, two police assets were killed Monday morning by a suspected drug pusher in Marguez village, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, a police official said.

Madiwo said the two were part of a drug buy-bust conducted by the Regional Special Operations Group in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“The suspected drug pusher shot our assets, who died on the spot,” Madiwo said.

The official said the unnamed drug suspect may have sensed that he was dealing with poseur buyers, so he gunned them down during the drug transaction inside the car on Monday, November 21. Initial reports said the two were ambushed.

The victims, who were not identified, were aboard a dark green Toyota Vios with no license plate.