Two women who were suspected to be members of a car theft syndicate were arrested separately by Cebu City police.
Chief Insp. Ryan Devaras, chief of the Mabolo Police Station, identified the suspects as Gionna Marie Geolina, 36, and Maria Roselyn Olid, 40.
After the arrests, police recovered three vehicles which were allegedly stolen then pawned or sold to unsuspecting clients.
Police investigation showed that Junnlyn Nacionales, a 44-year-old owner of a car rental shop in Mandaue City, reported to the Mabolo police after spotting Olid in a rent-a-car shop in F. Cabahug Street around 3 p.m. Friday.
Nacionales told police that Olid was the same person who a rented a car from her car rental shop but failed to return it.
Acting on the report, operatives of the Mabolo police arrested Olid, who was supposedly about to rent a car at the time.
Nacionales alleged Olid rented a Toyota Vios with plate numer YJZ-470 but didn’t return the vehicle.
Nacionales said they later learned that the car was pawned to an American national in Argao town.
Police conducted a follow-up operation and recovered the vehicle at 7 p.m. last Friday.
The American national said he didn’t know that the car was a carnapped vehicle.
Upon further investigation, police learned that Olid was in cahoots with Geolina.
Geolina was arrested in Argao.
Aside from the Toyota Viso, Devaras said they also recovered a Kia Rio (YGD-133) and a Honda Civic (GNX-916) owned by Juliet Capuno, 42, who also runs a car rental shop.
The cars were recovered in a parking lot of a mall parking lot in Mabolo.
The suspects, who refused to comment on their arrests will be charged for estafa and carnapping, , Devaras said.
Devaras said they are coordinating with other police units to check the background of the suspects.