ZAMBOANGA CITY — Police and military authorities intercepted a Sport Utility Vehicle at a checkpoint here and arrested the driver for illegal possession of assorted high-powered firearms and ammunition.

According to Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office director Pol. Col. Jibin M Bongcayao, authorities manning the checkpoint in Barangay Pititanglaan, Lumbayanague, intercepted the SUV on 16 September.

After inspection, police discovered that the SUV was loaded with one unit cal. 30 Browning Machine Gun, one unit cal. 5.56mm MOD R4 assault rifle, 188 rounds of live ammunition for cal.30, 35 rounds of live ammunition for cal. 5.56mm and one short magazine assembly for cal. 5.56mm, which prompted them to arrest the driver of the SUV identified as Norhan Ibrahim Hamdag.

Police said that Hamdag was passing the checkpoint on board his vehicle when policemen notice the firearms in the back seat of his car.

The police immediately asked Hamdag for pertinent documents of the firearms of which the suspect failed to present.

Hamdag, together with the seized firearms and his service vehicle, were brought to the Lumbayanague MPS for further investigation and for filing of appropriate charges against him in court.