Body of truck helper recovered

Relatives of the missing truck helper of a hijacked delivery truck identified his body at the police morgue yesterday, according to a police investigator.

Officer-on-case SPO3 Steve Casimiro said the body of Aaron Alpay, who had been missing since Thursday following the hijacking of a truck carrying copper wire worth P3.6 million, was fished from the Estero de Vitas near the Infanta bridge in Tondo, Manila last Friday.

Alpay’s body bore stab wounds similar to those sustained by truck driver Romy Matin-ao, whose body was dumped by the suspects under the Infanta bridge in Tondo.

Both bodies had multiple puncture wounds in the chest and back.

Investigators said three hijackers threw the driver’s body under the bridge, thinking he was already dead.

Passersby, who found his body, rushed him to the Tondo General Hospital, where he was able to give a statement before he expired.

According to his narration, he was driving a 10-wheeler truck (PXB-247) loaded with copper wire when it was blocked by armed men after leaving the Manila International Container Port in North Harbor.

One of the hijackers was in police uniform, according to Matin-ao.

The cargo was on its way to the consignee’s warehouse in Tarlac.

Matin-ao identified Alpay as his companion at the time of the hijacking. However, the helper remained missing until the discovery of the body last Friday.

Police said hijack gangs have became bolder these days, often killing drivers and their helpers before speeding off with their loot.

There have been intelligence reports that hijack gangs are being protected by unscrupulous policemen.