Mindanao, Visayas destination of stolen cars

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—At least 26 vehicles stolen in Luzon found their way into the Visayas and Mindanao and have been recovered by authorities during two months of operations, according to the head of the national police’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG).

Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, the HPG chief, said the recovery of the 26 stolen vehicles brought to 55 the total number of vehicles that HPG recovered in Mindanao and the Visayas since operations started late last year.

This, he said, proved that vehicles stolen in Luzon and Metro Manila are sold in Mindanao and Visayas.

Espina said car theft syndicates have two groups that operate.

One group, he said, is in charge of actually stealing vehicles while the other group is responsible for disposing of the vehicles after their serial numbers have been tampered with.

The HPG, he said, was also in the process of unmasking the identities of government officials involved in car-jacking syndicates.

“There are misfits in government agencies who are helping the syndicates in their illegal operations. We are now trying to determine who these people are and as soon as we get evidence, we will file appropriate charges against them,” he said.

Espina said in line with the heightened campaign against carjacking, HPG would thoroughly inspect vehicles being transported through the country’s seaports to make sure these were not stolen.

Cars being transported to any destination, unless freshly imported, do not require clearance from the HPG or Bureau of Customs.

“Syndicates use roll-on-roll-off vessels to ship out stolen vehicles from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao,” he said. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao