Alleged 'Boltcutter Gang' leader caught

MANILA, Philippines - The suspected leader of the “Boltcutter Gang,” whose members reportedly use boltcutters to break into computer shops in Manila, was arrested Wednesday when he fled from policemen patrolling a street corner in Sta. Mesa, a police official said yesterday.

Suspect Cesar Canares Jr. was with a group of men at the corner of Magsaysay Boulevard and Lacson street when policemen approached them to ask what they were doing.

Canares’ companions ran in different directions, and the suspect boarded a Mitsubishi L-300 van (WFM-987), triggering a car chase. Policemen cornered Canares, who failed to produce a drivers’ license.

Theft and Robbery Section head Chief Inspector Edgardo Carpio said his men also discovered a central processing unit (CPU) and a boltcutter in Canares’ van.

At the Manila Police District headquarters, Carpio found that Canares’ van is the subject of a police alarm in a robbery at the Odell.com Internet café along V. Mapa street in Sta. Mesa. The shop lost 14 CPUs worth P210,000 last June 24.

Carpio said two witnesses had positively identified Canares and the vehicle allegedly used in the heist. The shop owner also identified the recovered CPU as one of those taken by the robbers.

Police believe they have arrested the gang leader, but Canares said he is innocent. His lawyer also came to work for his release, according to Carpio.

Police initially booked Canares for vagrancy and driving without a license, according to Carpio. “The robbery case was directly filed at the prosecutor’s office, which will determine if we have probable cause to indict the suspect,” he said.