Hijacked truck found

A hijacked cargo truck has been recovered by authorities in Valenzuela City, minus its load – an estimated P1 million in plastic products.

The North Police District Office (NPDO) said yesterday, the truck head of the container van was found abandoned by the suspects, led by one clad in a Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcer’s blue uniform, along the Macarthur Highway in Karuhatan.

Probers said truck helper Cris Timkang, 20, was abandoned by the suspects after hog-tying him inside the truck head’s cabin. Timkang said three suspects drove off with the cargo after midnight Sunday.

Timkang said he and driver Joel Galvez were about to deliver their cargo to the Manila International Container Port (MICP) at around 11 p.m. when a man wearing an MMDA uniform flagged them down. As the "traffic enforcer" approached him, two other men boarded the truck, with one of them taking over the wheel.

Timkang told probers he was hog-tied and taken along, but his driver was left behind.

Timkang said that after an hour’s drive, the truck stopped. He said he heard a commotion outside and felt a loud thud as the van was hitched to another truck head. He was later abandoned by the roadside.

A manhunt for the suspects and the missing goods is ongoing, police said. – Jerry Botial