Cops hold 6 near bank for `suspicious behavior’; 3 guns seized

Six persons, two of them women, were taken in for questioning after being spotted “suspiciously lurking” outside a bank at a popular mall in Quezon City late Friday afternoon.

A police source who declined to be identified said one of those brought to Camp Karingal was reportedly a policeman assigned to Mandaluyong City.

Supt. Gerardo Ratuita, head of the Quezon City Police District’s Public Safety Batallion, said the six were spotted pacing back and forth outside a bank since Friday morning. Their identities have been withheld by police.

Two of their companions, however, were able to escape, leaving behind four vehicles.

Masambong police station commander Supt. Audie Madrideo said they received information about the suspects’ suspicious behavior from personnel of the Banco de Oro at SM North–The Block.

The police official told reporters that it was the policy of the QCPD to regularly “visit” establishments such as banks as part of their routine patrol duty.

On Friday afternoon, the Masambong police station made a routine visit to the BDO branch at The Block facing North Avenue.

Ratuita said bank personnel signaled to the policemen that there were armed men lurking outside the bank, prompting the policemen to call for back up. When they arrived, the policemen took the six persons in for custody.

A security guard in the vicinity recalled seeing the four men and two women pacing outside the bank as early as 9 a.m.

The vehicles believed to be the suspects’ vehicles were parked as early as 8:30 a.m., based on a parking ticket which Ratuita said they were able to recover.

Madrideo said one of the women even tried opening a bank account at the bank.

Police were able to recover three .45 caliber pistols from the men brought in for questioning.

Ratuita added that they are verifying the suspects’ vehicles: A silver Toyota Avanza (ZRN-330), a black Nissan Navarra (RGP-763), a blue Toyota Corolla (TLL-823) and a Suzuki APV (ZRN-169).