AUTHORITIES alerted car and motorcycle owners of common modus operandi of the traveling carnappers whose main targets are motorcycles and sports utility vehicles parked in the city's thoroughfares and parks.
Highway Patrol Group (HPG) community relations officer Inspector Glenn Faustino said based on the reported carnappings in the city in the past years, most were parked luxury vehicles and motorcycles.
Although low on the number of carnapped vehicle reports, Faustino said this does not mean car owners should be lax in securing their hard-earned vehicles.
"We have received reports that carnappers are already trying to divert operations to the provinces," Faustino said.
With this, he added there is a need for continued vigilance in combating criminals who might have interests in a person's vehicles.
He added one modus operandi uncovered these past months is the bit-bit motorsiklo gang.
"These motorcycle thieves often ride FB-type vans and trucks and when they pass-by an expensive motorcycle, they would prick its locks, duplicate the motorcycle's keys or even lift the entire motorcycle into their trucks and drive away in less than three minutes," he said.
Faustino added these carnappers have been operating fast and quick and easily chop off the parts of the motorcycles or cars so that these can be sold to automotive supply stores.
He said of the seven reported cases of carnapping in the city this year, four were motorcycles.
"After a nationwide alarm on these vehicles, only two were recovered by the police," he said.
Other cars which were reported carnapped and reported to their main office for nationwide alarm were a Ford Ranger and a Hyundai Starex.
"Reporting cars for the nationwide alarm is important as the only way to get your car or motorcycle back because operatives in the different provinces," he said.
A carnapping, he said, should be reported immediately to police so that the process to locate the stolen vehicle in the nationwide alarm for carnapped vehicles could also be started right away.
"Owners must bring proof of ownership of the vehicle like the receipt when it was brought and other pertinent documents," he stressed.
He added things like keys of the carnapped vehicle, police report from the local police office, identification cards from the rightful owner and authenticated copies of pulled-out records from the Land Transportation Office should also be used to present the proof of ownership.
After filing an HPG alarm and complaint sheet, Faustino said, this will be the time that they will place the missing car in their database where most of their operatives all over the country use to track down carnappers.
He added car owners should always be wary of carnappers as many of them are just waiting for the next unsuspecting victim displaying their new motorcycles and luxury cars.