"Basag Kotse" group strikes in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - A customer of a grill house lost his cash worth P45,000 and checks worth P165,000 to alleged members of the “Basag Kotse” robbery group last Saturday night.

The suspects broke the rear left window of his car parked outside a restaurant along A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

The car’s owner, Charles Theodore Rivera, 37, a resident of Barangay Nangka, Consolacion, was at the Kaona Grill when the incident happened. The left rear window of his Toyota XL with plate number GRU-952 was already broken when he returned to the car.

Police said the robbers took Rivera’s sling bag, which contained cash and checks. Also in the bag were his mobile phone and documents of his Honda ESI and Yamaha Mio motorcycle.

The place was reportedly crowded at that time that the security guard might not have noticed the incident.

Last August 8, police arrested the suspected mastermind of a “Basag Kotse” gang operating in Cebu City. The suspect, Jules Gumban, allegedly headed several break-ins in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.

The group reportedly evolved from “Bukas Kotse” to “Basag Kotse,” explained by Chief Insp. George Ylanan, chief of the Task Force on Heinous Crimes of the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

Following the installations of anti-theft alarms on vehicles, the group resorted to breaking car windows.

The group allegedly uses a spark plug in breaking car windows that would only crack the glass window and would prevent any vibration that will be detected by the security alarm.

Police said Gumban has a pending warrant of arrest for theft issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Nemesio of Branch 53. — (FREEMAN)