6 held for ‘suspicious behavior’ released

Could they be just “mere” tuko (gecko) traders after all?

Six persons, two of them women, who were invited by police for lurking suspiciously outside a bank on Friday were eventually released later that night after they passed themselves off as engaging in the “tuko” craze.

But one of them, allegedly a policeman, may not go scot-free yet after confessing to escorting the two women who were supposed to sell P5 million worth of the species.

Supt. Audie Madrideo, Masambong police station commander, said the alleged policeman, whose identity was withheld, may face administrative charges for “moonlighting” as an escort to people dealing in the trade of geckos, which is illegal.

But even though there were no geckos recovered from the suspects, the Quezon City Police District is still verifying their alibi that they are just “tuko traders” and no more.

The six were taken in for questioning on Friday after bank guards noted their suspicious behavior. Three handguns were reportedly seized from them.

They were seen pacing around suspiciously since 8:30 a.m. Friday near the Banco de Oro branch at SM North–The Block until late afternoon.

Bank security personnel signaled the suspicious behavior to patrolling operatives from the Masambong police station on Friday afternoon, prompting police to invite them to Camp Karingal.

But upon questioning, the six men turned out to be strangers—with the alleged policeman and another man accompanying two women selling geckos, and another escorting a female buyer.

P5-M payment

The female buyer was supposed to open an account at the BDO branch to deposit the P5 million payment for the geckos, but was unable to after her companions’ presence caused a commotion.

Madrideo said the two groups claimed that they were just dealing in geckos, which is illegal under the law as geckos are an endangered species.

This is the second incident this week that police stumbled upon the “tuko trade” in Quezon City, with the first incident in Fairview on Monday.