Caloocan cops seize 72 'hot' motorbikes

MANILA, Philippines - Caloocan City police arrested at least four men and confiscated at least 72 allegedly stolen motorcycles in a series of raids yesterday.

City police chief Senior Superintendent Jude Santos identified the suspects as Rafael Divino, Lord Jane Camitoc, Jeffrey Celi and Randy Boy Hernandez, all of Bagong Silang.

The recovered motorcycles have been impounded at the North Caloocan City Police Station compound on Zapote corner Camarin Road.

Metro police chief Director General Roberto Rosales lauded Santos and his men for the feat, adding that there will be no letup in their resolve to stop car theft and carjacking “in the streets and in the offices” of their partners in crime.

Santos said the operation stemmed from a tip by an unnamed employee of the Pacific Motor Center, a motorcycle distributor on E. Rodriguez street.

The informant told police that more than 250 motorcycles with spurious documents were allegedly being sold in Bagong Silang by some of the firm’s employees.

The same source said some of the units were stolen but most of the units had been repossessed.

The tipster said Divino and Celi, who are Pacific Motors employees, store the motorcycles in a warehouse, then sell them to customers for a P3,500 downpayment and an amortization of P500 per month for two years. The transactions were covered with temporary receipts.

Police found the seized units were not registered with the Land Transportation Office, and those too dilapidated to be sold as a unit were dismantled and sold as spare parts.

Pacific Motors employees said some of the units in their inventory were not reflected in their sales. They told police the stolen units were mixed with the repossessed units to conceal their illegal activities. From there, the fake papers are prepared and the “legitimized” units sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. lauded Santos and his men, saying the recovery of the stolen motorcycles were just part of an operation launched two weeks ago, in which 12 minors were arrested for motorcycle theft in Caloocan.

Santos said the arrest of the 12 minors resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of motorcycle thefts in the city.

Santos said 12 to 20 motorcycles were stolen every month, and there was a time when the thefts reached nearly 100, earning the city the tag as the country’s motorcycle theft capital.

He said no more motorcycles were reported stolen since the 12 minors were arrested.

Santos said they are setting up a system by which owners can claim their stolen units. He warned those who bought motorcycles from the suspects that they could be held liable for violating the anti-fencing law.

Pagdilao said they have yet to establish whether Pacific Motors has any liability for the stolen motorcycles.