HPG alerts banks on employees possibly in cahoots with carnap groups

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) on Wednesday alerted banks to be wary of employees who might be in cahoots with carnapping syndicates.

PNP-HPG director Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum issued this warning after police found out that some of the stolen vehicles they have previously recovered were acquired through bank loans.

Under the modus called “pasalo” scheme, carnapping syndicates acquire vehicles through bank loans using fictitious names then sell it to unsuspecting buyers at cheaper prices.

“Ang pinagtataka po namin dito, paano po ito nakakalusot sa mahigpit na background check before ka makapag-apply. Mahigpit po dapat ang bangko dyan,” Tagum said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(We are puzzled at how it passed the strict background check of banks in application for loans. Banks should have been strict on that.)

Tagum said that this rampant modus will only be possible if carnapping syndicates have cohorts inside banks.

“Ongoing po ang investigation pero sa pamamagitan po nitong information kong isinisiwalat, gusto ko pong iparating sa bangko na dapat pong maalarma na sila,” he added.

(Investigation is ongoing but with this information I am revealing, I want to tell bank managements that they should be alarmed.)

According to Tagum, carnapping syndicates have opted to shift to the “pasalo” scheme and other similar modus as it is safer and easier to be done than forcibly taking vehicles from car owners.

EDV