3 Transport personnel nabbed for 'stealing' license plates

MANILA, Philippines: Three employees of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) were caught red-handed while allegedly stealing license plates at the agency's plate-making plant on Thursday. BGen. Redrico Maranan, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, identified the suspects as Jenard Arida, Arjay Anasco and Valeriano Nerizon, all LTO personnel. Maranan said the three were arrested by the members of the Kamuning Police Station (PS-10) together with the Special Project Group of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Prior to their arrest, an LTO representative sent a request/complaint letter to the office of the DILG secretary and the Philippine National Police regarding some of its personnel who were stealing the license plates at the agency's plate-making plant. The arrested suspects were said to be involved in stealing substantial quantities of license plates, police said.

«They were also threatening their fellow LTO personnel within the plate-making plant,» the QCPD chief said.

The suspects were arrested past 12 noon, Thursday, after an on-duty security guard at the plant saw them allegedly stealing five pieces of license plates.

The unnamed guard immediately reported what he saw to the LTO authorities that resulted in the arrest, the QCPD said.

The suspects were detained at PS-10 while criminal charges were being readied against them, it added.