Palit-cellphone gang leader arrested at NAIA

The leader of the notorious "palit cellphone gang" was arrested by members of the airport police while trying to escape from his victim at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently.

In a report, the Intelligence and Investigation Division of the Airport Police Department (IID-APD) identified a the suspect as Jerry Damasco, alias Christian Rodriguez, 24 years old, and resident of 226 Pare Condominium, 15th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City.

He was arrested last Tuesday at the NAIA vicinity.

Damasco has long been wanted by the police. His latest victim was identified as Jeffrey Bautista, a resident and employee working in Sampaloc, Manila area.

The "palit cellphone gang" reportedly victimizes people who want to get cheaper and smuggled cellphone units allegedly being smuggled into the country through the NAIA.

Capt. Tim Cruz, chief of the IID, said police authorities recovered from the suspect a Nokia 3210 cellphone unit and P2,000 cash owned by the victim. Likewise recovered from the suspect was a fake identification card of Philippine Airlines (PAL).

The suspect’s modus operandi is to "sweet talk" victims who are looking for smuggled and cheap cellphone units. The suspect then brings unsuspecting victims to the NAIA and tell them that he would smuggle out a cellphone unit from the NAIA Customs area.

The suspect would ask for advance payment of the victim’s old cellphone plus cash. The victim would then wait at the NAIA parking area, until finally realizing that the suspect would be gone minutes later and nowhere to be found. – Sandy Araneta