Valenzuela cops bust car theft gang

A big-time car theft syndicate is believed to have been busted with the arrest of seven members, including the leader of the notorious "Madrigal Group" by the Valenzuela police Tuesday in Obando, Bulacan, authorities said yesterday.

In his report to Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr., Northern Police District Office (NPDO) chief, Superintendent Jose Marcelo identified the suspects as Edwin Balla Imperial aka Edwin Madrigal, 31, acknowledged gang leader; Melecio Vellosero alias "Miling," 40; Alex Dantes Dungo, 35; Darwin Ilogon Reyes, 25; Fernan Balingit, 28; and Vicente Masilungan, 28. Edwin’s brother Randy, also a member of the Madrigal Group, remains at large.

Recovered from the group were a Honda City (KCR 759), a 2002 model Mitsubishi Adventure (NSS 965), a Fuso tow truck (CWL 659), six license plates and 19 assorted engine and body spare parts.

Alarmed by the rising number of motor thefts in the city, Marcelo launched an operation to neutralize known groups involved in stealing motor vehicles. He dispatched SPO4 Jesus Patriarca and his men at the anti-carnap group zeroing in on the Madrigal Group.

Marcelo said his men used stool pigeons to gather reliable information. Patrol 117 soon called up at around 10 p.m. Monday informing them that a tipster reported an abandoned warehouse at 293 Panghulo, Obando, Bulacan at the common boundary with Valenzuela allegedly being occupied by the group. Marcelo’s men coordinated with the local police and staked out the place after verifying it was leased by the gang’s leader, Edwin Madrigal. At six in the morning of Oct. 14, Tuesday, the operatives saw two men opening the warehouse gate and there in plain view were several cars, the remains of apparently cannibalized vehicles, engines and spare parts. Other persons holding welding torches were also spotted dismantling vehicle parts. When the men saw the operatives, they scampered to different directions. When asked to present proof of ownership of the vehicles found inside the premises, the suspects failed to show any, Marcelo said.

Marcelo said he immediately sought the assistance of the NPDO Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) for the macro-etching of the seized pieces of evidence.

A record check is also now being undertaken with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Traffic Management Group at Camp Crame to determine the ownership of the seized vehicles and their current status. – with Pete Laude