Pawnshop worker caught replacing jewelry with fakes

CEBU, Philippines - A vault custodian of a pawnshop was arrested by her own manager after she allegedly stole P150,000 worth of jewelry pieces and replaced them with fake ones, Thursday inside a mall in Apas, Cebu City.

Jenely Jube, 34, of Ramona Village in Barangay Tabunok, Ta-lisay City, is now detained at Mabolo Police Station after she was busted for the crime she allegedly did to her company, RD Pawnshop.

Jube was arrested by the pawnshop’s group manager Erlinda Tenchavez, 52, of P. Del Rosario Street, Cebu City.

According to Wilfredo Villarojo, non-uniformed personnel of Mabolo Police Station, Jube’s thievery was caught by Tenchavez when they conducted inventory on the pieces jewelry of the pawnshop.

While Tenchavez was making the list, she saw that the jewelry pieces were all complete but noticed that some of the items somehow looked different, Villarojo said.

This prompted the manager to investigate the matter and eventually found out that Jube replaced 52 pieces of the jewelry pieces with fake ones. The items Jube allegedly stole amounted to P150,150.

Villarojo said some of the suspect’s co-employees visited their office and divulged that Jube had long been doing the crime.

Charges for qualified theft have been filed against the suspect. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya/NSA (FREEMAN)