Calabarzon cops smash Bolt Cutter Gang
POLICE Regional Office 4-A (PRO4-A)director, Brigadier General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. on Monday said they have smashed a notorious Bolt Cutter Gang that had gained notoriety for robbing unattended commercial establishments in Rizal province and its nearby cities.
The official said the leader of the gang and three of his men have been arrested and are now facing a string of criminal charges after they yielded several unlicensed weapons and their loot.
Brig. Gen. Nartatez told Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. that the suspects were known to have robbed a number of convenience stores, ‘sari-sari’stores’ and gasoline stations in the province before until they began hitting motorcycle and bike shops, pharmacies, cellphone shops and jewelry stores.
The suspects use bolt-cutters to gain entry into their target establishments before ransacking the place and fleeing on board motorcycles. Apart from that, the accused were also said to have been involved in ‘Basag-Kotse’ and car theft and illegal drug activities in the Rizal municipalities of Taytay, Binangonan, San Mateo, Cainta, Rodriguez and Cardona and Antipolo City and nearby Pasig and Marikina cities since 2019.
Initially arrested by agents of the Rizal Police Provincial Office headed by Colonel Dominic L. Baccay were the gang leader identified as Joshtin Pollarca alias ‘Tutok/Nono’ and his members John Michael Bernal alias /Imaw/Dagulo,’ James Cairon Monsanto’ and Kur Angeluz Yuzon. All are now under the custody of the Taytay police.
The four were arrested in a hot pursuit operation in Barangay Sta. Ana in Taytay, Rizal last January 16. They were arrested for robbing the Emilio S. Lim Appliances Store along Rizal Avenue in Bgy. San Juan in Taytay last January 13, Brig. Gen. Nartatez said.
Recovered from the suspects were one caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing seven live ammunition, a cal. .38 pistol with a magazine containing 12 bullets, an STI Apeiro pistol with seven bullets, two hand grenades and a bolt-cutter.
Brig. Gen. Nartatez said that six motorcycles, all believed to have been stolen by the suspects were also recovered during the hot pursuit operation. One of the motorbikes—a pink Yamaya Mio—was positively identified by witnesses as among the suspects’ getaway because of its bright and unique color, the official said.
On Saturday, the official led his men in serving search warrants issued by the court against the other suspects in their safehouse at Block 3, Road 6, Planters, Berm Floodway in Bgy. San Andres in Cainta.
However, the suspects led by one Jaylord Robles were not around during the raid and are still being hunted as of press time. The rest of the suspects were identified by Brig. Gen. Nartatez as Carlo Angelo Cabubas, Alex Pareñas, Bryan Barroso, Danrich Angeles and Kenneth Cruzado.
Brig. Gen. Nartatez said that recovered during the raid were a cash vault stolen from the Emilio S. Lim Appliance Store last January 13, several plastic sachets containing around eight grams of shabu worth P54,400, assorted drug paraphernalia, a cal. .38 revolver found to have been stolen by the suspects from a security guard of a convenience store in Pasig City which they previously robbed, a 9mm airsoft pistol with magazines, fake identification cards as well as a crowbar, a hammer, pliers and a bolt-cutter.
The official expressed belief that the arrest of the suspects have crippled the gang’s criminal activities. “Hopefully, with this accomplishment, mapigilan natin ang nakawan dito sa area, particularly dito sa laylayan, dito saprobinsiya ng Rizal,” he said.
