Cops set sights on rob gang's 'insiders'

Police are intensifying efforts to unmask the “Waray-Waray” robbery gang’s “insiders” who provided information for the 17 heists the gang reportedly perpetrated in Metro Manila during the past months.

Southern Police District (SPD) director Senior Superintendent Jaime Calungsud decided to go after the gang’s “insiders” following a confession by an arrested suspect, Rico Malmis, 50, who said the gang’s alleged leader, Alvin Flores, confided to him they have insiders in banks and establishments they were going to rob.

The “insiders” received the same share of the loot as the members of the “Waray-Waray” robbery gang who conducted the robbery operation, said Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales.

Rosales said majority of the gang’s insiders, according to Malmis, were security guards.

“Malmis claimed that Flores has a list of security guards under the gang’s employ. They were the ones providing the gang with vital information about the bank or establishments they are going to rob,” Rosales said.

Malmis told Rosales there were instances when the gang would liquidate their “insider” once the heist failed to materialize.

Calungsud said of the 17 heists attributed to the gang, five were done in the SPD’s area of jurisdiction. He directed Superintendent Boyet Samala, SPD intelligence chief, to coordinate with the five establishments the gang robbed in the past and get the names of employees and security guards on duty at the time of the heists.

He said Samala should also coordinate with other banks and establishments the gang has robbed.

“We will compare records at our disposal and hope that we could establish and identify the gang’s insiders during their heists,” said Calungsud, noting that gang insiders would be included in the charges filed against “Waray-Waray” gangmen. – Non Alquitran