JONG CADION
Chief of reporters
A joint team operation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), 905th Provincial Mobile Group (PMG), ZamboSur PNP Special Operations Group (SOG), Aurora Municipal Police and the military resulted to the receovery of ten carnapped vehicles last week.
The joint operation was conducted in Bangulo, Lanao del Sur and Marawi City by the mentioned teams and a civilian was arrested, pointed to as the one responsible for the carnapping of a Honda XRM-110 motorcycle in San Jose, this city.
Mayor Samuel Co, in a press conference lauded the efforts of the joint teams, who were working round the clock against carnappers.
Co added he was alarmed by the reports that carnapping incidents in Pagadian increased to 21 for the first quarter. The city police, however, told this paper the statistic reduced to eight reported carnappings after some of the vehicles were recovered during follow-up investigations.
Police Chief Inspector Reynaldo Maclang told MINDANAO MONITOR some carnapping cases reported to his office were solved.
As to the identity of the suspect arrested in Aurora, who later agreed to spill the beans against his cohorts, served as a guide to the joint raiding team.
The lair of the alleged carnappers were raided and the surprised suspects were then positively one by one, including a policeman and a motorcycle repair shop owner in Marawi City.
The identity of the policeman, a Maranao resident of Marawi was also withheld by the NBI.
Police Inspector Oscar Buenaobra, head of the 905th PMG, lawyer Moises Tamayo of the NBI head and P/Insp. Aurelio Dumingo, team leader of SOG thanked Mayor Co for the support of their operation.
Two of the ten recovered vehicles were identified and claimed by their owners after submission of pertinent papers showing proof of ownership.
All the suspects were detained at the PNP Provincial Office lock-up cell, awaiting formal charges against them while a monetary award was given by Co to the lawmen.