THE robbery was well timed and well coordinated.
This was the statement released by the management of J Centre Mall in Mandaue City on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019. A 15-man group entered the mall’s premises and robbed five tenants last Saturday, Oct. 19, stealing P136 million worth of jewelry and cash.
Following the incident, the mall said: “It is looking at ways on how to make the mall’s security, inside and out, even better.”
“The robbery incident was an isolated one,” read a portion of the statement, adding that the mall is “business as usual. But do expect a stricter security check before going inside.”
The mall’s management said that the perimeter guards’ “sidearms were no match to the armalite rifles” carried by two of the robbers. The culprits first subdued an armed guard at the jeepney terminal area.
When the robbers were on their way inside the mall, two guards “resisted.” However, the culprits subdued them and took their firearms. They gave the guns to their fellow robbers inside the mall.
At the mall’s entrances, guards carry metal detectors. They “strictly check” the bags of shoppers before letting them in.
The management defended its policy of not arming guards inside the mall. It said that in cases of robbery, the armed guards could shoot it out with the armed robbers, and it could put the lives of tenants and shoppers in danger as they could be hit during the crossfire or they could be held as hostages.
There were close to a thousand people inside the mall when the heist happened.
Five of the arrested suspects were charged with robbery before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office last Wednesday, Oct. 23. Four other suspects who were arrested died in an operation in Bogo City, northern Cebu, while five other suspects remain at large.
The complainants are Ginros Gem and Jewelry, which reportedly lost P20 million worth of jewelry; Oro China Wedding and Engagement Rings, P10 million; M Lhuillier Jewellers, P50 million; Jay-Ann Jewelry, P50 million; and Ichange Money Forex, which lost P6 million in cash in the incident.
The mall assured the public that it is fully cooperating with the ongoing police investigation, and it is keeping itself accessible to the police. JOB