New Year’s Day heist in Ozamis: Thieves get away with P40M

SOME P40 million worth of cash and jewelry were carted away by robbers who broke into a mall in Ozamis City in Misamis Occidental through the drainage system last New Year’s Day.

The Ozamis City police station said one of the suspects, who was not identified, was arrested in a follow-up operation, adding efforts are underway to nab the other suspects.

Police said the robbery at the Gaisano mall was discovered at around 11:48 a.m. last Monday. The incident was reported by the mall’s human resources officer, Ludivina Villaceran.

“Investigation disclosed that the perpetrators… gained entrance by digging up a hole from a nearby drainage leading up to the food court area of said establishment, which also served as their possible exit,” the Ozamis City police station said in a statement.

Once inside the mall, the suspects took cash from an Automated Teller Machine which they forcibly opened.

Police said the suspects likewise opened the vault of GKC Jewelry Shop and Oro Italia Fine Jewelry Shop and took cash and jewelry.

Police operatives arrested one of the suspects during a follow-up operation and was brought to the Ozamis City police station for further investigation.

“Intelligence-driven checkpoint operations were already established in all the egress areas of the city, and relentless manhunt operations are still being conducted to arrest other suspects involved in the robbery,” the Ozamis City police station said.

It said it is working “towards the resolution of the case at the soonest possible time.”

“We encourage our citizenry to report any information or lead that will help in the investigation, and likewise refrain from spreading false information that may hamper any of our police investigations,” it said.