Cell card swindlers arrested

BUTUAN CITY — Leaders of a suspected large scale swindling syndicate who have already victimized mobile phone traders in Cagayan de Oro City and Davao City were arrested by Caraga Police Task Force Racer after an entrapment operation here Tuesday.

Caraga Police Task Force Racer operatives identified the suspects as Caridad Cuenca, 55, alyas Caridad Gonzales, widow and resident of Claro M. Recto St., Davao City and Victor Agarapao Martinez, 29, married and resident of 24 Doña Soledad, New Manila, Quezon City. Police said, the suspects called by phone a certain Mary Ann Payot, employee of Goodyear Enterprises owned by Robert Yu on Feb. 13, at about 11:30 a.m. that she was ordering some 2,000 pieces of Globe cell cards amounting to P546,000.

Allegedly the syndicate asked the savings account number of Robert Yu so that the suspects could adjust deposit payments for the cards at the Metro Bank account of the Goodyear Enterprises owner.

The suspects allegedly informed Goodyear Enterprises that payments for the card were already deposited at the said Metro Bank account.

Sensing something was wrong with the deposit slip faxed to Goodyear Enterprises by the suspects, Robert Yu, owner of the firm and a cell card distributor called up Caraga Police and immediately set an entrapment operations against the suspects.

On the eve of Feb. 15, one of the suspects, Victor Martinez wearing a black T-shirt went to Goodyear Enterprises store located at R. Calo and T. Montilla Sts., of this city and demanded from the store the 2,000 pieces of Globe cell cards. Payot handed the 2,000 pieces of cell cards inside a box to Martinez who immediately left the vicinity by boarding a waiting motorized trisikad outside.

Task Force Racer operatives headed by Police Senior Supt. Almirante de Luna Josue immediately accosted and arrested the suspect and asked the whereabouts of his companion who was then boarding a Mitsubishi L-300 with plate number GHC 353. It was later found out that the suspect inside the van was a certain Caridad Cuenca.

Later, owner of Cagayan de Oro City’s biggest cell card distributor, Graphics, Robert Chui positively identified the suspects as the alleged swindlers who gypped them of Globe cell cards using the same modus operandi.