Through spotting, persons driving suspected stolen motorcycles are temporarily held for questioning, according to Senior Inspector Benjamin Reyes, chief of the WPD’s anti-carnapping section.
Reyes explained that his men are trained to spot motorcycle units for tell-tale signs of having been stolen such as missing or improvised license plates, expired commemorative plates, illegal siren and blinker and expired or fake sticker from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). They are also on the lookout for units which have been previously reported stolen.
"We ask the driver to produce the vehicle’s original receipt and the certificate of registration. If he cannot produce these documents, his motorcycle is impounded," Reyes explained.
He said the police cannot immediately file charges against the driver since they are not caught in the act of stealing the vehicle. "What happens sometimes is that the driver never shows up again leaving the vehicle to us," Reyes said.
According to Reyes, records at the LTO showed that some of the impounded motorcycles were stolen in Parañaque and Marikina. "Most of these vehicles were not stolen in Manila but in places outside the city. But they were ‘spotted’ by my trained personnel within the city proper," he said.
Reyes added that carnapping incidents in Manila had declined with the WPD’s anti-carnapping section even getting recognition from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) for posting the lowest carnapping incidents among the five police districts in the metropolis.