Shipping firm lost half a million to robbers
-A A +AWednesday, August 22, 2012
UNIDENTIFIED robbers ransacked an office of a shipping lines Sunday and carted away more than half a million in cash and checks, police said.
The incident was discovered on Monday around 7:30 a.m. by Glen Cordoved, teller of Gothong Southern Shipping Lines located at YMCA Building along Julio Pacana Street in Barangay 21, Cagayan de Oro City.
Police Officer 1 Prescie Marie Kim of Macabalan Police Station said the lost amount was officially declared by Michael Lapera, finance officer of the establishment, at around 4 p.m. on Monday following an inventory.
Based on Lapera’s declaration, at least P324,000 cash and P299 worth of checks were taken away by the robbers.
The amount was reportedly the company’s income from Friday to Sunday.
Police initial investigation showed that the suspects ransacked the vault where the money and checks were placed.
“It appears that the suspects used a cutter. We still cannot determine the number of robbers but most probably there were three,” Kim told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
It was also believed that the suspects entered the front door of the building since the door can easily be opened. It was learned that the establishment had no security guard.
“There was a security guard around the area but he was assigned at the Court of Appeals (CA) so his focus is on CA alone. They should have hired their own security guard, especially that they leave cash inside,” Kim added.
Police said the establishment also had no closed-circuit television (CCTV).
Kim said they are still investigating the incident to identify the suspects.
Meanwhile, three men armed with short firearms also broke into an establishment in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental on Saturday and carted away some P400,000.
Police Officer 1 Ronilynn Vedra of Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office said the heist happened around 8:30 a.m. just as Orobell Wood Inc. in Barangay Dayawan, Villanueva.
Based on the initial report of the Villanueva Municipal Police Station, the robbers entered the establishment and pretended to be applicants.
The establishment’s owner identified as Susan Tong personally entertained the three suspects only to find out that they were robbers.
“They pointed at the owner their .38 revolvers and took P400,000,” Vedra said.
The three suspects fled away after the incident.
Vedra said authorities are conducting a pursuit operation to track down the suspects.
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on August 22, 2012.
Local news
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