A notorious leader of a major carnapping syndicate, allegedly responsible for two high-profile carnapping incidents in Metro Manila, was killed while another suspect was apprehended by police operatives during an operation in Makati City Monday.

Senior Supt. Froilan Bonifacio, Makati city chief of police, identified the fatality as Ivan Padilla, leader of the Padilla Group, who succumbed to a gunshot wound on the head after figuring in a shootout with law enforcers.

Padilla was rushed to the Ospital ng Makati (OSMAK) but was declared dead on arrival.

Bonifacio said the operation was led by the operatives of the Regional Police Intelligence Operations Unit Anti-Carnapping Unit (RPIOU-ANCAR) led by Supt. Maristelo Manalo backed by the Makati Police Community Precinct 9, along General Luna Street, Makati City, at about 4:30 a.m.

According to reports, an informant tipped the police that the group would strike again.

Police flagged down a Toyota Vios carrying Padilla and a certain Mark Inducil.

However, the suspects resisted, prompting the police to shoot at the suspects. Padilla was killed during the exchange of gunshots, the police said.

After the encounter, police recovered a caliber 38 revolver, a caliber 22 and a fragmentation grenade inside the victim’s car.

Meanwhile, Inducil is now under the custody of the police.

Police said the Padilla Group was behind recent carnapping incidents in Metro Manila, one of which was the carnapping of the Toyota Camry owned by former Ambassador Roberto Romulo at the Global City in Taguig.