Shop loses P1.5M in phones to burglars

A cellular phone shop at the corner of Borromeo and Colon streets in barangay Kalubihan, Cebu City, lost P1.5 million worth of high-end phones to burglars yesterday.

The incident was discovered by Hanson Santos, 25, owner of Hanson Santos General Merchandise.

Police said the store's roll-up door was opened after the padlock was believed cut with a bolt cutter. After getting inside the burglars went to the metal vault and forcibly opened it with a crowbar that they left behind.

SPO3 Genilo Veraque of the Theft and Robbery Section said prior to the discovery, the security guard of a nearby pawnshop told him that their caretaker that night, Nelson Canastra, reported seeing two men outside the store around 2:30 a.m.

The men were reportedly trying to get inside the store but he scolded them and they hastily left. According to Veraque, Canastra did not call the police.

When morning came the owner discovered the store had been broken into and the vault forcibly opened and empty.

Inventory showed that the store lost 632 Nokia and Sony Ericsson cellular phones totaling P1,594,550. - Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP