BY JESSIE P. MONGCAL. MDN News Bureau
OZAMIZ CITY – Police Major Dennis P. Tano of Ozamiz City vowed to strengthen crime prevention efforts to deter the commission of crimes in the city.
This, after the recent New Year robbery happened at Grand Gaisano Mall in Ozamiz, one of the biggest malls in Northern Mindanao.
The robbers took home more than P35-million in jewelry and cash after they successfully ransacked two jewelry stores and an ATM machine inside the said mall.
“We will strengthen our crime prevention efforts because ordinary measures are no longer effective. One of which was the recent mall robbery where the suspects dugged a hole inside the mall,” the Ozamiz police chief said.
Pmaj Tano said those strategies of the suspects are not ordinary but a level up strategy to achieve their evil desires to get inside the mall without being noticed by mall security forces and even in the intel operations of law enforcement agencies.
“I think this time we will tap the involvement of the barangay because they know what is happening in their neighborhood and we want them to report to us any suspicious movements of people who are about to commit a crime,” Tano explained.
OZAMIZ MALL ROBBERY
The police official said five of the suspects are now facing robbery charges. “We have filed charges against the suspects in the New Year mall robbery,” Tano said.
Police have announced the resolution of a P35-million pawnshop robbery that occurred at Gaisano Mall on New Year’s Day. The apprehension of five carnival workers has led to the breakthrough.
Police Major Dennis Tano, the officer-in-charge at Ozamiz City Police Station, revealed that the arrests took place on January 1 during an intensive hot-pursuit operation. The Ozamiz City Prosecutor’s Office received a criminal case for robbery on January 3, but the suspects’ identities have not been disclosed.
Tano clarified that, according to their preliminary investigation, the suspects acted independently and were not associated with any organized group. He mentioned that these suspects are local individuals with no prior records, although three of them are recognized as thieves from Tangub City.
During the pursuit operation, law enforcement recovered various items of clothing related to a horror show in the carnival, believed to be worn by the suspects during the robbery. This crucial evidence facilitated the identification of the individuals involved.
Josephine Fernandez, the owner of the “peryahan,” verified that the apprehended suspects were indeed her employees, having worked for her for several years. She explained that the pieces of clothing were utilized by her workers during their performances.
The robbery targeted three establishments and an Automated Teller Machine within the mall. Initial assessments indicate that the stolen items amounted to P35 million, including cash and jewelry. The suspects allegedly gained access to the mall by creating a hole in a nearby drainage, allowing them entry to the food court area, which also served as a potential exit.
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