Cagayan robbery-car theft syndicate busted

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines  – Authorities busted a major robbery-carnap syndicate operating in the region following the arrest of its key members in Tuguegarao City, which also led to the recovery of stolen motorcycles and other valuable items.

The police regional office yesterday identified the arrested suspects as Romer Romero alias Jong and Raymundo Capili alias Junior, both from said city; Jovel Villarosa, of Amulung town; and Nico Sotelo and Rajhani Kant Sharma, both of Buguey town, all in Cagayan province.

Police said that strings of cases, among them carnapping, illegal possession of firearms and fencing, have already been filed against the suspects following their arrest earlier this week.

Chief Superintendent Benedict Michael Fokno, Cagayan Valley police director, said that the suspects’ arrest in series of operations also led to identification of their other cohorts.

“We are confident that the other members of the group will eventually be arrested as we were already able to identify them as well as their possible hideouts,” he said.

Fokno said Romero and Capili’s arrests in their safe houses in the city’s Barangay Bagay were conducted by virtue of search warrants by Judge Jezarene Aquino of the Tuguegarao City regional trial court.

Their arrests also led in the recovery of stolen items, which included 15 motorcycles, 15 mobile phones, two laptops and three helmets as well as several firearms such as a .38 caliber revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .45 caliber pistol and a 9-mm pistol.