The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–7 cautioned the public of at least three gangs of thieves who victimize mall shoppers, after the arrest of two thieves last April 25.
The two, who were arrested by their intended victim with the assistance of the house detectives of a mall in the North Reclamation Area, were identified as Ailyn Bacus and Alexis Suico, the alleged leader of one such gang.
Police said the two, managed to steal the black bag of a certain Maria Eleanor Mangubat who was in the mall last April 25 but was immediately caught after Mangubat sought help from the house detectives.
The suspects tried to resist but the security personnel in the mall contained them and recovered from them the black bag of the victim that contained P11,000 cash, two cellular phones and assorted ATM cards owned by the victim.
The two suspects were later turned over to Supt. Rex Derilo of the CIDG-7 for booking and charges were filed against them the following day.
Derilo said their modus operandi is to target women mall-goers, especially mothers with toddlers who are more likely to mind their children than their belongings.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Alob, 29, a passenger of a vessel from Iligan City, was arrested by the crew after allegedly stealing the shoes of a fellow passenger while in transit to Cebu Sunday evening.
It was Harold Rojas, 19, of Imus, Cavite, who told the vessel crew that Alob stole his shoes worth P5,500.
But the suspect denied stealing the shoes because he thought some passenger of the previous trip may have left them behind and so he wore them. — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP