Police seize P300,000 worth of stolen motorbikes and parts in Manila

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities recovered roughly P300,000 worth of stolen motorbikes and parts being peddled by notorious motorcycle thieves in Tondo, Manila on Sunday.

Superintendent Ernesto Tendero Jr., chief of the Manila Police District Station 9, told the INQUIRER.net on Monday how joint operations of their station’s Anti-crime agents which he led as well as officers from the Delpan Police Community Precinct led by Senior Inspector Rodolfo Mangune, seized two motorbikes and several “cannibalized” parts of motorcycles at around 5 p.m. in Purok 4, Isla Puting Bato.

Tendero said that they immediately coordinated with police covering the area after receiving intelligence reports positively identifying the establishment which sold stolen vehicles.

Police were able to confiscate two blue Suzuki Rider motorbikes without plates, five motorcycle engines, six shock absorbers, two mufflers, two “cannibalized” motorcycle bodies, and two plates (NQ 7373, 6397 UF), helmets, tires, chassis, and mirrors during the operation, said Tendero.

He said that they were not able to arrest JR Bait, a notorious car thief in Manila, nor the proprietor of the establishment Abdulbasit Mulacao, as “there is only one way into Isla Puting Bato and when we reached the shop, everyone had escaped.”

“These men sell the motorbikes they steal fast. They take off the plates and get the good parts from the motorcycles to be sold separately. They then sell the motorbikes with older tires and accessories for less,” added Tendero.

He said that Bait would bring the motorbikes he stole to Mulacao’s establishment to be immediately sold for P15,000 to P20,000.