New group pawns stolen vehicles — HPG

MANILA, Philippines — Another organized crime group is operating in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces, pawning stolen vehicles to unsuspecting buyers, the Highway Patrol Group bared yesterday.

HPG director Chief Superintendent Roberto Fajardo is urging victims of the group’s motor vehicle scam to file a complaint with their office.

He identified the alleged leaders of the syndicate as Randy Villanueva and his wife Jenny, a daughter of a retired police official Fajardo only named as a certain Col. Tecson.

“They boast that they would not be jailed because they have connections,” Fajardo said in Filipino during a press briefing at Camp Crame.

He said the couple, together with their sub-leaders identified only as Rick, Rony, Opel, Loyla, Jun Peter, Mark Lester and Julian have been selling stolen vehicles at a much lower price.

Among these victims is a 36-year-old woman from Pasig City who told police last Dec. 18 she bought a Ford Everest from the suspects for only P420,000, way lower from the vehicle’s market value of at least P1 million.

“She found out later the vehicle is included in the wanted list of vehicles reported as stolen while parked unattended,” Fajardo said.

They are also investigating if nine vehicles found abandoned at the parking lot of a casino hotel in Pasay City on Wednesday are linked to the group.

Fajardo said one of the nine vehicles was found to be on the list of stolen vehicles and seven have questionable records.