Burrowing thieves clean out pawnshop in Q.C.

MANILA, Philippines—Tunneling thieves struck Wednesday at a pawnshop in Quezon City and stole an estimated P800,000 in jewelry and cash, police said.

Investigators at the Quezon City Police District’s Eastwood station said the break-in was discovered only around 9 a.m. when employees of the Tambunting Pawnshop on Calle Industria in Barangay Bagong Bayan opened the shop.

Police said that when employees Marlita Magtangob and Rosebella Quiniquis went in, they found the vault had been ransacked and saw a hole on the floor of the vault, secured by a time lock scheduled to open at 9 a.m.

Eastwood policemen said that the break-in could have been carried out some time between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Wednesday by a still undetermined number of burglars.

The pawnshop employees said that the pawnshop lost P800,000 worth of valuables, including P80,000 in cash.