GPS leads cops to truck-load of stolen toys in Malabon

MANILA, Philippines – Thieves who went after a truck full of toys in Quezon City on Monday realized too late that the vehicle had a GPS (global positioning system) tracker that gave away their location.

Thanks to the tracker, 14 people were caught in the act of unloading the stolen cargo in a compound in Malabon City, a few hours after the truck went missing in Cubao.

The truck, which carried assorted battery-operated toys and imported bicycles worth P700,000 for Kids Gallery Corp., was stolen from the company’s warehouse on 20th Avenue in the wee hours of Monday, according to the Quezon City Police District.

KGC officials alerted the QCPD-Cubao station to the robbery at 5 a.m., informing the police about the GPS tracker on the truck.

The tracker indicated that the vehicle was brought to a compound on General Borromeo Street, Barangay Longos in Malabon, according to Cubao station commander, Supt. Wilson de los Santos.

An operation mounted by QCPD anti- car theft unit and the Malabon police led to the arrest of 14 men at the compound around 1 p.m.

They include Roberto Florentino, 49; Andy Arevalo, 39; Romeo Fernandez, 54; Joseph Barola, 31; Ryan Martin, 30; Michael Santeañez, 24; Rommel Razon; 24, Diolo Pinar, 45; Norman Monteclar, 31; Nelson de los Reyes, 47; Leo Nepomuceno, 31; Ronaldo Arenas, 31; Christopher Condesa, 37; and Jolly Velasco, 34.

Based on a security camera footage obtained by the police, Florentino, a mechanic, was one of the two men who stole the truck from the warehouse.

Florentino was described as the “leader” of the group after his cell phone showed text messages indicating that he had been selling stolen cargo to an unidentified buyer long before Monday’s theft, De los Santos said.

Also recovered from the Malabon compound were 13 license plates believed to be used by the suspects to replace the plates of the vehicles they earlier stole in order to mislead authorities.

 
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