5 ‘tunneling thieves’ held for pawnshop job

Five alleged members of a gang of thieves known for digging tunnels to their targets were arrested after they robbed a pawnshop in Las Piñas on Saturday morning.

The Las Piñas Police identified the five suspects as Jim Bautista, 20; Aldo Malama, 28; and Jack Desanta, 27; all from Ilocos Sur; Arnel Panig, 26, of Kalinga; and Jun Wangler, 24,  of Pangasinan.

The five were arrested at around 5:30 a.m. yesterday after looting the DM Garcia Pawnshop near Angela Village along the Alabang-Zapote Road in Las Piñas City.

Las Piñas Police Chief Senior Supt. Romulo Sapitula said the police got wind of the plan after they received information of the planned heist.

“We were able to arrest these suspects after an informant called us up before the incident, telling us that the five would rob the DM Garcia Pawnshop [on Saturday morning],” he said.

The city police, together with members of the Southern Police District, responded to the incident after the pawnshop’s guard called for assistance after hearing noises inside the pawnshop.

Two of the suspects were arrested inside the pawnshop, while three others were caught after a chase.

The suspects were able to take P15,000 in cash, a wall clock, and two calculators from the pawnshop before they were arrested. The vault remained intact.

Seized from the suspects were an iron bar, a crow bar, a hacksaw, a pair of cutter pliers, a screwdriver, and a mechanical jack.

Investigators found out that the suspects had dug a tunnel which started from a creek about 50 meters from the pawnshop.