Robbery-holdup gang members fall in Camarines Norte

DAET, CAMARINES NORTE—Four of the five reported members of the “Manolito “Manu” Garganeta robbery-holdup gang” were nabbed by joint intelligence and police units of the Camarines Norte Police office after being cornered the other day in a vehicular chase along the Maharlika Highway at the San Vicente Road in barangay Log-on leading to this capital town.

Daet, Police Supt. Allan Olea Ramos reported on Wed. (July 25) that the four suspects were charged of violation of RA-9516 and RA-8294 (Illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions) before the 3rd Asst. Provincial Prosecutor. The same criminal complaints were also filed against the gang leader, Manolito Garganeta, who is at large.

A separate complaint for violation of RA-8294 docketed under NPS-V-09-INQ 12G-00816 was also filed against a notorious gang-member, Joseph A. Cuyos, 24..

Supt. Ramos identified the other gang members facing charges as Eduardo Diana Pabico, 49, a bus driver from Lag-on, Daet: Romano Balane Magana, 28, a miner from Mancasay, Paracale; and Edgardo de los Reyes, 31, another bus driver residing at Townsville Subdivision Dasmariñas, Cavite.

According to Supt. Ramos, two of the gang members fired successive shots at the pursuing police operatives when they were trapped at San Vicente Road in Daet. The suspects who were on board a white Mazda van aroused suspicion when they speedily passed a Highway Patrol Group checkpoint at Itomang, Talisay, C.Norte.

The PPO SOCO team has taken custody of the weapons confiscated from the suspects, consisting of: 2, Caliber 45 pistols; 3, magazines and 20 live ammunitions for Cal.45; a hand grenade; and 2, empty magazines for M-16 rifle.

Ramos also said that the “Garganeta Crime Group” was put under surveillance by police and military intelligence units after the group was involved in a series of carnapping, most notable of which is the Teano Carnapping-Slay case in Quezon City on Dec. 2011.

Robbery-holdup incidents at the MJCV Fashion Center (Natasha) on July 18, 2012 and the Lehman’s Meatshop on June 10 with loot amounting to nearly a million pesos were all reportedly perpetrated by the crime group in this capital town .(SONNY SALES)