4 nabbed for truck hijacking

Four Manila policemen were arrested in Quezon City by the Philippine National Police-Traffic Management Group last Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the hijacking of some P3.6 million worth of canned corned beef products.

TMG director Chief Superintendent Danilo Mangila said operatives of Task Force Limbas arrested Inspector Brotanico, PO3 Eufamio Castillo, both assigned at the Theft and Robbery Section of the Western Police District, and PO2 Jefferson Britanico and PO1 Ericson Peralta, also assigned at the WPD.

Mangila said the suspects were involved in the hijacking of two 20-footer container vans loaded with canned Purefoods Corned Beef worth around P3.6 million.

Anti-car theft operatives sported the stolen vans that contained the Purefoods products along Barangay Kaybiga in Caloocan City at around 11:20 p.m. last Tuesday. The contents remained intact.

The products were hauled from the North Harbor in Manila, but they were hijacked along the way before reaching the Purefoods warehouse in Marikina City.

Mangila said the operation was conducted after Annabel Ramos of the Truckspeed trucking company reported that two container vans did not reach the Marikina City warehouse.

Police said the four policemen, in civilian clothes, were suspiciously "securing" the hijacked vans when TMG policemen pounced on them.

When accosted, the Manila policemen then introduced themselves as lawmen. The four cops did not coordinate their "surveillance operation" with the Northern Police District, which is part of standard operating procedure if entering areas not within their official jurisdiction, Mangila said. — Christina Mendez