THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Cagayan de Oro City arrested a supposed leader and member of the newly identified Bongcaron criminal group at Alae, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Friday morning, May 19.
Armed with search warrants issued by a court in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, CIDG operatives raided the houses of the suspects identified as Rodolfo Bongcaron, 53, and his older brother Alfredo Bongcaron, 57, for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition (RA 10591).
Authorities seized a caliber .45 pistol, seven M16 bullets and another eight caliber .45 cartridges from the house of the younger Bongcaron while one caliber .22 pistol, two homemade/improvised guns and 50 caliber .22 cartridges were confiscated from the house of the latter's brother.
Superintendent Melgar Devaras, CIDG-Cagayan de Oro City officer, said the Bongcaron group is allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade and its members are reportedly also guns for hire who are being utilized by crooked politicians.
Devaras added that the younger Bongcaron was also a fugitive after escaping from the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) where he was being held for carnapping charges as certified by jail warden Dominador Tagarda.
The younger Bongcaron also had an arrest warrant for frustrated homicide issued by a court in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon dated August 2, 2016, with a P24,000 bail.
The suspects were detained at the CIDG-Cagayan de Oro City while charges for violations of RA 10591 were being prepared for filing before the provincial prosecutor's office in Manolo Fortich.
