Pasay mall heist an inside job?

MANILA, Philippines - The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is investigating reports that the persons who robbed a jewelry store at the SM Mall of Asia last Sunday were armed with “inside information,” an official said yesterday.

NCRPO chief Director Carmelo Valmoria admitted that investigators are pursuing the “inside job” angle but “we have no evidence as yet to back it up.” He refused to discuss the progress of the investigation so they do not “telegraph” their moves.

Investigators took note that the robbers smuggled wrenches and handguns into the mall using the “exit” doors, apparently to avoid the security guards manning the “entrance” doors.

The recovered wrenches were bought from a nearby store, Valmoria said, adding that the Pasay City police are trying to find out who owns a .45 caliber pistol confiscated from arrested suspect Ryan Bansawan.

Valmoria said the mall’s closed-circuit television cameras caught the images of the 10 robbers, but five of them hid their faces by wearing caps.

“We are now comparing the video footage of the MOA robbery with those taken from previous robberies to establish the identities of the suspects. There are no results as yet,” he said.

Valmoria hinted that those wearing caps may have been involved in previous robberies. He said they have no evidence as yet that the MOA robbery was staged by the Martilyo gang, whose modus operandi is to buy hammers minutes before smashing the display cases of jewelry shops and stealing the jewelry.