A 31-year-old man was arrested Thursday after he was allegedly caught trying to throw a pistol into the Bohol District Jail (BDJ), which recently made headlines after a raid at the facility last week yielded drugs, money, cellphones and bladed weapons.
According to Staff Sgt. Reniel Bibat of the Tagbilaran City Police Station, roving jail guards of the BDJ caught Jeonel Lagahit of Barangay Tiptip in Tagbilaran City in the act of trying to throw a Colt .45 caliber pistol over the jail’s wall and into the facility.
Lagahit was spotted as BDJ authorities tightened monitoring of the jail’s periphery after they earlier received information indicating that suspects have been smuggling contraband into the facility by throwing the items over the wall.
He has been turned over to the Tagbilaran City Police Station and is set to be charged with violation against Repiblic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act.
BDJ authorities meanwhile launched an investigation to verify if the gun was intended for use in killing a detainee.
Last week, Bohol Provincial Police Office director Col. Jonathan Cabal said that the BPPO will intensify its drive to eradicate communication capabilities of detainees at the BDJ to persons outside the facility after law enforcers found mobile phones inside jail cells at the detention center during a raid on August 18.
Operatives BPPO, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and National Bureau of Investigation stormed the BDJ and confiscated a total of P200,000 cash and shabu worth P136,000 from multiple jail cells of the overcrowded detention facility.
All of the seized drugs were allegedly found in the possession of Oliver Cereula Manubag, 32, a native of Cebu City. He is held for drug cases and is set to be slapped with additional charges following the raid.
The seized peso bills of assorted valuation were found in various jail cells but the largest chunk of the cash at P119,200 was found in Cell 23. However, authorities have yet to identify who owned the money. (wm)