Cops nab 6 members of CL hijacking gang

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – Police have arrested six suspected members of a notorious hijacking syndicate operating in Central Luzon during a brief running gunbattle in Barangay Iba, Meycauayan, Bulacan.

Central Luzon police director, Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol identified the suspects as Paul Cu, 33, of Karuhatan, Valenzuela City; Ernesto Cortel, 33, of San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City; Jorge Noble, 22, of Novaliches, Quezon City; Joel Yabut, 22, of Karuhatan, Valenzuela City; Jason Fuentes, 22, of Palmera Homes, Novaliches, Quezon City; and Paul Cantomayor, 29, of Bayan, Novaliches, Quezon City.

Querol said that Bulacan police received information that armed men on board a Mazda car (WHH-187) and a Toyota Tamaraw FX (NCS-926) were about to hijack a 10-wheeler truck (WSY-205). The truck, driven by a Teodoro Apurado, was loaded with 500 sacks of refined sugar worth P900,000.

Meycauayan police were dispatched to the area and chanced upon the suspects who were about to hijack the cargo truck.

The suspects fired upon seeing the policemen and a brief gunbattle ensued between them until they (the suspects) were cornered and surrendered. — With James Managhaya