Ex-cop, 2 pals held for selling stolen items
THREE men, including an armed discharged policeman, were arrested by members of the Manila Police District for selling stolen items in Sampaloc, Manila on Friday, National Capital Region Police Office director, Major General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said Saturday.
The official identified the accused as dismissed Police Corporal Mark Joseph Patayan, 33, and his civilian companions Jhon Ace Ortiz, 29, and Jorge Timothy Guinto, 31.
The dismissed cop yielded a 9 mm pistol and 14 ammunition.
Police also seized three Honda ADV 160cc motorcycles belonging to the accused, P117,000 in cash, including the buy-bust money and three sling bags containing various identification cards and mobile phones.
The ex-cop is now facing criminal charges for estafa, usurpation of authority or official functions, falsification of public documents and violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.
The NCRPO chief said that members of the Manila Police District arrested the trio following an information from a concerned citizen regarding a group of men, one of them armed with a gun, selling a suspected stolen motorcycle in Sampaloc last Friday.
Acting on the complaint, members of the MPD Station 4 rushed to the site past 4:00 a.m. Friday and conducted a sting which led to the arrest of the three.
According to Nartatez, the MPD Station 4 discovered that prior to the operation, the suspects managed to sell a stolen motorbike to a local resident last May 7.
With the help of the victim, the police conducted an entrapment which resulted in the arrest of the trio while trying to sell another motorbike.
