CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – A police officer suspectedly engaged in selling luxury hot cars was nabbed by his colleagues in an entrapment operation inside a restaurant in Tagaytay City, Cavite, Sunday afternoon, police said.
Senior Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao, Highway Patrol Group 4A regional director, said SPO1 Jeonell Atienza, of Gen. Trias, Cavite and assigned at the 404th Provincial Police Mobile Group – Calabarzon region, was charged with carnapping and violation of illegal transfer of LTO (Land Transportation Office) license plate (Batas Pambansa 43).
Gunnacao said Atienza was arrested by operatives of the Cavite-HPG4A led by Chief Inspector Allan Macapagal inside a restaurant in Cavite at around 1 p.m., when he offered for sale a suspected carnapped white Toyota Vios with an improvised licensed plate no. (ZXE-547) for P80,000, to one of the HPG4A agents who posed as a buyer.
He said the recovered “hot car” was registered to Marilyn Garcia, of Marulas, Valenzuela City and reportedly carnapped by unidentified armed men on Sept. 3, at about 12 a.m. at the vicinity of Fatima 2, Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Police said records showed that the original plate number of the carjacked car was TXK-587.
It was also learned that the suspect together with his buddy cop acquired the carnapped vehicle from a certain Jimmy Bautista in the amount of P15,000.
Police also confiscated from the suspect his service firearm, a 9mm beretta pistol. He is presently detained at the Cavite-PPO detention cell. – With Arnell Ozaeta