5 suspects in Surigao del Norte robbery nabbed in Camarines Norte

INQUIRER FILES

LEGAZPI CITY — Five individuals involved in a robbery incident in Surigao del Norte were arrested during a dragnet operation in Sta. Elena town in Camarines Norte province on Tuesday, police said.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol police information officer, told the Inquirer in a text message on Wednesday that their personnel intercepted the suspects at 5:10 p.m. along Maharlika Highway in Barangay Tabugon.

Calubaquib said the suspects, identified by their aliases as “Jess” and “Dado” from Subic, Zambales, and “Ed,” “Jon,” and “Matt” from Baliwag, Bulacan, were captured with the help of intelligence provided by the Claver police in Surigao del Norte.

The Claver police had been engaged in a hot pursuit operation and tracked the suspects, who were reportedly fleeing from Leyte toward the Bicol region in a green Honda CR-V, she said.

“This vehicle was connected to a robbery that occurred on March 9, 2025, in Barangay Bagakay, Claver, Surigao del Norte,” she added.

Police recovered several stolen items, including laptops, cellular phones, tablet gadgets, internet routers, and various Philippine National Police uniforms from the suspects.

The suspects, along with the confiscated items and their getaway vehicle, are now in the custody of the Sta. Elena police for proper legal processing, Calubaquib added.

“A background check revealed that one of the suspects, known as ‘Ed,’ had an outstanding warrant for carnapping,” she said.