Cops track down stolen P1.2-million cell phone shipment using GPS device

MANILA, Philippines - Police officers tracked down a truck carrying P1.2 million worth of cell phones within three hours after armed men wearing Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) identification cards and vests hijacked it Friday morning in Quezon City.

Case investigator Police Officer 3 Gregorio Maramag said these “PASG agents” flagged down the truck at around 9:30 a.m. in Barangay Bagong Lipunan ng Crame. When the driver of the truck pulled over, the suspects commandeered the vehicle and made off with 43 boxes of cellular phones owned by Cobalt Resources Inc.

But the owner of the shipment had installed a global positioning system device in the truck and police officers were able to track down the vehicle.

Police officers caught up with the vehicle along Quezon Avenue near Scout Chuatoco street and arrested Anthony Norman Bongar, 32 at past noon. Bongar was the only one left in the truck since seven other suspects managed to escape by boarding a Toyota Avanza (TYP-211).

During the commotion, the suspects abandoned a Toyota Fortuner (UNO-68) and a Chevrolet Optra (ZDV-764). Police said several boxes of cell phones were found in the Fortuner, and only P700,000 worth of cell phones recovered from the hijacked truck. The rest of the shipment could have been taken away by Bongar’s alleged cohorts.

Quezon City Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit head Superintendent Lino Banaag said they have charged Bongar with usurpation of authority, highway robbery and car theft.

Banaag reminded those carrying valuable materials to be cautious against criminals posing as law enforcers. He said those conducting checkpoints should be in proper uniforms and in marked vehicles.

He added that law enforcers conducting random checks should be courteous and any discourtesy should be reason enough for motorists to doubt them.