Photo firm offers reward for hijackers' arrest

The Columbia Digital Sales Co. is offering a P150,000 reward for the arrest of the suspects behind the hijacking of a van loaded with cameras and photography supplies last month.

The firm’s Isuzu van was found empty hours after being hijacked by armed men on Nov. 19.

Company president Anderson Tan said they will not entertain service requests for the stolen items, whose serial numbers are on record.

The company is the exclusive distributor of Nikon, Aigo, KIS Photo Me, Doli and the authorized distributor of Fujifilm.

“We are very saddened by this incident and could only be thankful that our employees are safe and unhurt. We are cooperating with the authorities to bring the suspects to justice,” Tan said in a statement.

Eight men armed with handguns blocked the van at around 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 19 along Roces Street in Quezon City.

But according to Quezon City Police District director Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula, no report has been filed with them.

“I am urging the company to lodge a formal complaint and provide us information so we could act on and investigate the incident,” Gatdula told The STAR in an interview.

On the day the hijacking happened, Randy Corpuz was driving the closed van, accompanied by fellow employee Junie Danuco.

Eight armed men suddenly alighted from a Toyota Innova and an Isuzu Crosswind and flagged down the closed van.

The armed suspects posed as law enforcers and ordered the two employees to pull over, purportedly for them to inspect the contents of the van.

They told Corpuz and Danuco that they received information that the vehicle was carrying suspicious cargo.

The suspects then ordered the two to get out of the van and accompany them to a police precinct.

According to Columbia officials, the armed men made Corpuz and Danuco ride with them in one of their vehicles “with their heads down.”

After more than hour, the suspects dropped the two employees off in San Simon, Pampanga. The van was eventually recovered empty in Barangay Wakas in Bocaue, Bulacan. A police report has been filed in Pampanga.

The company also warned the public against buying these stolen items, saying they would be considered as being involved in the crime.

Tan said buyers should not patronize unauthorized dealers of Nikon products, and be cautious in purchasing cameras and lenses and other equipment from “questionable sources.” – Reinir Padua