‘Basag salamin’ scheme goes viral due to robber’s use of TNVS company’s compartment

MANILA, Philippines — A video of a motorcycle rider who broke the glass of a parked vehicle to rob belongings inside it has gone viral on social media not only due to the act itself but because the robber’s bike had a container from a known transport network vehicle company.

In a video of closed-circuit television footage uploaded by several social media pages, a rider wearing a red shirt whose face was covered was seen scouting two vehicles parked along a street in Makati City, acting as a delivery courier.

After ensuring that he would not attract attention, the robber opened his motorcycle compartment, wore a pair of gloves, and broke the sports utility vehicle’s window just by pushing it.

However, the logo on the compartment box did not escape the eyes of netizens, who quickly noted that the robber used a box from a transport network vehicle service firm Grab.

In a statement after the incident, Grab said that they are aware of the incident, and would be willing to assist authorities to track down the suspect.  However, they admitted that they could not identify whether the robber was indeed a part of their fleet, as the motorcycle used did not have a plate number while the rider’s face was covered.

“We are aware of a video involving a motorcycle rider breaking into a parked car. As the rider’s vehicle did not have a plate and as he was wearing a face cover at the time of the incident, we are unable to confirm the identity of the rider and verify his registration as a Grab delivery-partner at this stage,” Grab said.

“Grab does not condone such behavior. We stand ready to assist the authorities with their investigations. Should the offender be identified as a Grab partner, we will not hesitate to take appropriate actions to maintain the safety and reliability of our platform,” it added.

According to Grab, their delivery-partners were screened properly, requiring them to submit various clearances from the police, from the National Bureau of Investigation, and the barangay — aside from various tests and motorcycle registration papers.

On Facebook, people speculated that the suspect was merely using the compartment box from Grab to cover his plans, as people would not suspect delivery couriers of illegal activities should they park next to vehicles.

“Hindi naman (legit) na Grab rider yan. Malamang nabili nya lang yung bag na yan. Wala naman pong cellphone holder sa motor nya,” a commenter said. [ac]