20 vehicles impounded for dubious registration

The latest intensified campaign of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) against car theft has resulted to the impounding of some 20 vehicles with dubious registration and ownership.

Checkpoints set-up by personnel of the Northern Police District (NPD) Mobile Force in randomly selected strategic areas around the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area led to the confiscation of 12 motorcycle units, six scooters, and two pick-up trucks.

Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said the operation is just the beginning, reiterating his warning that no vehicle will be spared from the massive anti-carnapping campaign of the Metro police.

The other day, Velasco led the formation of the Anti-Car Theft Task Force as part of the Arroyo administration’s renewed drive against car theft syndicates in the country.

Aside from the NCRPO, the task force is composed of the Land Transportation Office (LTO); the Traffic Enforcement Group; the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Flying Squad; the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Traffic Management Group (TMG).

"Seminars will be conducted by the members of the task force to come up with a unified action in our fight against these carnapping syndicates operating in the metropolis and nearby provinces," Velasco said.

He added that the seminars are necessary to make the country’s law enforcement agencies become well versed in the latest modus operandi being undertaken by different carnapping syndicates.

Velasco noted that all high-profile crimes like bank robberies and kidnappings and even gun-for-hire are committed by criminals using stolen vehicles.

"All types of vehicles with plate numbers not matching the models of the cars will be accosted and duly inspected by police operatives and subsequently impounded," he said.

Velasco urged motorists to cooperate with the effort by always bringing with them their official receipts and certificates of registration for immediate verification of the ownership of their vehicles.

In his report, NPD-DMF head Chief Inspector Jacinto Ramos said the 20 vehicles were impounded because of delinquent registration, the absence of license plates, non-registration, and failure to produce the OR/CR for the vehicles.

The vehicles were turned over for disposition and safekeeping at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig.

No one is spared

Checkpoints along major routes in the Camanava area netted several vehicles, including one belonging to the driver of Traffic Enforcement Group chief senior Superintendent Luisito Maralit, were impounded in an operation Tuesday night by elements of the Northern Police District and the local LTO office.

Traffic Officer 2 Christopher Soriano of the TEG, who claims to be Maralit’s driver, was apprehended at 10 p.m. along Lapu-Lapu Avenue in Navotas.

He was caught while driving a Kawasaki motorcycle with improvised plates (H-TEG). Soriano did not have proper documents.

The motorcycle and 40 other vehicles were turned over yesterday to the Traffic Management Group headquarters for proper disposition.

NPD director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. said the crackdown on unregistered vehicles launched in the Camanava area is part of the overall campaign to stop criminality, including kidnapping activities and bank robberies. – Non Alquitran, Jerry Botial, Pete Laude