Police arrested the suspected mastermind of a ‘Basag Kotse’ gang operating in Cebu City.
Police said the arrest of Jules Pua Gumban will help reduce incidents of car break-ins in Cebu and Mandaue cities.
Chief Insp. George Ylanan, chief of the Task Force on Heinous Crimes of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said from being ‘Bukas Kotse’, Gumban’s group became ‘Basag Kotse’ group.
Following the installations of anti-theft alarms on vehicles, the group resorted to breaking car windows.
Ylanan said the group uses a spark plug in breaking car windows. Using a spark plug would only crack the glass window thus preventing a vibration that will be detected by the security alarm.
Police said Gumban has a pending warrant of arrest for theft issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Nemesio of Branch 53.
Ylanan said Gumban was caught by a security camera breaking the glass window of a car parked in Club Ultima in Cebu City.
Ylanan said police have been monitoring Gumban until they got a tip that he was spotted in Mandaue City driving a gray Mitsubishi Lancer with plate number GEE-707 at 11 p.m. yesterday.
Ylanan said Gumban noticed that he was being tailed by policemen and sped off toward Cebu City.
Ylanan said Gumban was collared in a traffic jam in barangay Lahug.
Found in Gumban’s car was a hammer, tube container, one small plastic pack containing white crystalline substance, three disposable lighters and spark plug./REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS