2 motorcycle-riding men arrested at Caloocan checkpoint

Two motorcycle-riding men suspected of being members of a robbery-holdup gang were arrested by police in possession of a handgun and a knife at a checkpoint yesterday in Caloocan City.

Police identified the suspects as Arnel Cuevas, 30, single, jobless, a native of Samar, residing at Block 7, Baseco Compound, Pier South, Manila, and Brando Calderon, 30, single, jobless, a native of Tacloban, Leyte, and residing at Sabalo St., Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City.

Police sources said the duo’s arrest stemmed from an alarm raised by the police following a robbery and shooting incident perpetrated by the two suspects against victim Nelson Yu the other day in Quezon City.

Yu was reported killed while his companion suffered injuries and was taken to an undisclosed hospital.

Records showed the suspects were arrested at around 11:25 a.m. while members of Police Community Precinct 8 and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) manned a checkpoint in front of a Chowking outlet along Gen. San Miguel street in Sangandaan, Caloocan City.

The duo were said to be acting suspiciously when accosted by the lawmen as they passed the checkpoint on board a motorcycle (TG-808).

PO3 Joel Aquino, officer on case, said the two have been detained while charges of illegal possession of deadly weapons (a caliber .38 revolver and a knife).

A well-organized criminal group using motorcycles in staging heists in Metro Manila will soon fall, Central Police District (CPD) officials vowed yesterday.

Members of the group have been blamed for the death of a Chinese businessman in Quezon City last Thursday.

Ranking CPD officials vowed to locate those responsible and arrest them at the soonest possible time with the help of other police units in the metropolis.

The syndicate is being tracked down through continuous intelligence gathering and surveillance operations. We will get them soon. We have very good leads as to their whereabouts, but details of this should be kept confidential for now," one official told The STAR.

Two members of the gang, riding in tandem on a motorcycle, robbed and killed used car dealer Nelson Yu, 49, as he withdrew more than P1 million from a bank on Quezon Avenue last Thursday.

His companion, Romeo Chan, 47, was hurt in the daring afternoon holdup. The suspects peppered the victim’s black Toyota Revo (WPL 323) with bullets then fled with the cash.

Yu’s companion, who survived the robbery is the CPD’s key witness and will be asked to view a photo gallery of suspected criminals.

"Malapit na naming sila matunton," the CPD official said. – Jerry Botial, Michael Punongbayan