CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Police Office director PsR./Supt. Petronelli Baldebrin has urged his men to exert more effort in the investigation of car thefts in the city.
In 2013 alone, four Starex vans have been stolen, the fourth, with plate No. JES 162, owned by a certain Emeraldo Inocian, was stolen on St. Valentine’s Day.
Inocian, who lives along M. L. Quezon Street in barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City parked his van in front of his house Wednesday evening but was gone when he woke up Thursday morning.
Footages of a cctv camera owned by a Goodyear outlet showed a man stopped by the vehicle, opened it, drove away toward barangay Talamban in Cebu City.
Baldebrin said he has ordered his men to set up more checkpoints and to check wharfs in the city.
Baldebrin believes the thief belongs to a syndicate operating in Metro Cebu.
It was learned that there are about ten Starex vans have been stolen in the different parts of the province starting in the later part of 2012.
Investigative and Detective Management Bureau (IDMB) Chief Michael Anthony Bastes said that they are now in the process of tracking down these culprits.
He believes some of these stolen cars are still in Cebu.
“Sagad sa gipangkuha, mga karaan nga model nga sayon magamitan sa false key, posibling ang uban ani wa kagawas sa Sugbu naa ra na sa mga shop, gipang-chop-chop aron ipamaligya†Bastes said. (FREEMAN)