Cops foil hijacking of oil tanker truck

SARIAYA, Quezon, Philippines — Police foiled the hijacking of a tanker truck carrying 20,000 liters of gasoline and crude oil worth P1.5 million on Tuesday.

The stolen truck was recovered after a brief chase along Eco Tourism Road by two police officers on patrol – P/Sgt. Lowel Jess Zubia and Pat. Genesis Vila – who had been alerted of the hijacking by truck driver Eman Dizon Molejon, 28. The four suspects jumped out of the vehicle while being pursued by police. One of them, 31-year-old Vincent Reyes of Mauban town, was arrested.

A report from the Quezon Police Provincial Office said the incident occurred in Barangay Castañas at around 11:30 p.m.

The tanker owned by 4M Transport and Sales Corp. had just left an oil depot and was heading for Lucena City when two armed men blocked its path.

Molejon told investigators the gunmen and two others boarded the truck and hogtied and blindfolded him.

He was dropped off along Eco Tourism Road, where he managed to untie himself and seek assistance from policemen who were conducting routine patrol in the area.

The policemen found the tanker at a junction in Barangay Manggalang Bantilan and gave chase.

The arrested suspect identified his companions as Philippine Magtanggol and two others identified only as Joli and Joey. Only the tanker’s dashcam was missing. — Emmanuel Tupas