The Quezon City Police District warned the public about a new scheme in which pawned cars are pawned again without the knowledge of the real owners, who end up losing their cars.
This latest sting operation was revealed with the arrest of a woman who could no longer return a pick-up truck which a businessman pawned to her earlier for P1.64 million.
Talipapa police station commander Supt. Michael Macapagal said Editha Siasat was nabbed in an entrapment operation before dawn Wednesday at a convenience store in Barangay Talipapa. The suspect was taken into custody following a complaint of Francisco Pascual, a businessman.
Police learned that on March 3, Pascual pawned his Nissan Frontier Navara pick-up truck (TLO 566) to the woman.
The transaction happened at the Puregold Balintawak branch with the help of a certain Cesar Gaudia.
Pascual said he wanted to get back his truck on Tuesday but Siasat allegedly asked for an additional P7,000 before returning the vehicle.
Suspecting something was wrong, Pascual decided to tell his story to the police.
Siasat was arrested in an entrapment operation led by PO3 Frederick Oconer around 2 a.m. on Wednesday at the 7-Eleven convenience store at the corner of Mindanao Avenue and Quirino Highway.
Pascual identified Siasat as the person to whom he pawned his now missing vehicle.
The suspect, however, claimed that the truck is no longer in her possession as it had already been pawned to another person.