A suspected crime gang preying on foreign tourists were arrested on Saturday afternoon at the vicinity of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City.
The suspects were identified as Simplecio alias ‘Boboy’ Conde, 43, of Cavite; Arvilyn alias ‘Lyn-lyn’ Jimeno, 24, of Misamis Oriental; Kenneth alias ‘Kanuto’ Bogarin, 22, of Las Piñas City; and Romel alias ‘Dante/Buaya’ Santos, 42, of Las Pinas City.
Police said the suspects were members of ‘salisi’ or ‘tiempo’ gang. They were detained at the Subangdaku police station in Mandaue City pending the filing of charges against them.
PO2 Alexius Tangub, investigator of City Intelligence Branch (CIB) of the Mandaue police said the suspects had just victimized a Korean tourist in barangay Umapad and were about to strike again at the Basilica when they were arrested.
Police said the group was accused of stealing a Samsung smartphone worth P30,000 of Lee Kyungae, 48, at the Duty Free Philippines in barangay Umapad at around 11 a.m. Saturday.
Police said the theft was recorded in the establishment’s security cameras.
In the video, the suspects were seen boarding a taxi.
Police were able to locate the taxi through its plate number.
The taxi driver told police that he brought the passengers to the Basilica.
The Mandaue police coordinated with the Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) in locating the suspects.
Tangub said the group was spotted in the church and were about to victimize tourist.
Seized from the suspects were a .357 caliber revolver, a .45 caliber pistol, packs of suspected shabu, various wallets and cellphones.
Police said the suspects arrived in Cebu before the Sinulog festivities and were responsible for the four theft cases in Mandaue last January.