HPG: Carjackers now more sophisticated

MANILA, Philippines - With stricter police visibility and public awareness of the usual schemes of carjackers, gangs in the country have shifted to more sophisticated modus operandi, the head of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) said yesterday.

HPG director Chief Superintendent Arrazad Subong said the trend has shifted from the usual gun-toting and forcible taking of vehicles.

“No more weapons, no more deaths,” Subong said at Camp Karingal during the opening ceremony of a motorcycle-riding course for HPG personnel.

“The carjackers are now using financing-related gimmicks... Criminals are like that, they upgrade,” he added.

According to Subong, they are taking note of these new schemes to nip them in the bud.

The police general cited the cases of those renting vehicles and never returning them to the owners. The rented vehicle would then be resold.

Another scheme involves getting brand new cars through financing. Subong said the buyer would submit spurious papers, which are not scrutinized by sales agents eager to sell more vehicles.

The supposed buyer would pay the initial monthly dues and then renege after a few months.

Subong said that since license plates take a while to arrive, the practically unrecognizable car would be resold by the buyer, who would then disappear.

According to Subong, they have looked into these cases and noticed that the suspects still had links to groups implicated in past carjackings.

“There were variations but if you would look at their background, they all came from the same groups,” he said.