‘TUNNEL ROBBERS’: P100K reward offered in P1.3-M mall heist

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Renato Gustilo has offered a P100,000 cash reward for any information leading to the arrest of two unidentified suspects who stole P1.3 million in cash and assorted items from a shopping mall in Barangay Palampas, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, last Tuesday.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Nazer Canja, the city police chief, revealed this information yesterday, adding that a full-scale investigation is underway.

Canja stated that the suspects accessed the mall by digging a tunnel from a drainage system beside the mall.

Security footage showed two individuals entering the mall at around 11 p.m. on August 19 through a hole they created in a pharmacy.

The robbers took P200,000 in cash from the pharmacy and also stole P60,000 in cash, gadgets, tools from a hardware store, and jewelry from three other establishments within the mall, Canja reported.

The suspects exited the mall through the same tunnel at around 4 a.m. on August 20. The theft was discovered by security guards and employees at around 7 a.m., three hours after the suspects had left.

Police recovered a sling bag believed to belong to the suspects from the manhole, and a backpack containing tools was found inside the mall.

Canja suggested that the suspects might be part of an organized group, noting that the crime appeared well-planned and likely involved prior surveillance.

While two persons of interest have been identified, Canja did not rule out the possibility of additional suspects.

Eight security guards who were on duty at the time are currently under investigation, but no further details have been provided.

In a similar incident in March, the same mall was robbed of P450,000 worth of gadgets when an unidentified person was spotted in the mall’s air conditioning duct during the Holy Week.

Following this latest heist, Canja urged security personnel at establishments in San Carlos City to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious individuals or activities.

Meanwhile, Police Colonel Rainerio De Chavez, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO), has ordered a thorough investigation into the robbery.

He instructed the San Carlos City Police Station to leave no stone unturned in identifying and apprehending the suspects.

De Chavez emphasized that the provincial police are actively working to combat crime, particularly during the lean month of August when property crimes are expected to rise.

After a robbery attempt earlier this month, police have analyzed the situation and implemented measures to prevent similar incidents across the province.

In response to the heist, all police stations in the province have been placed on heightened alert and directed to intensify efforts to prevent similar crimes.

“Rest assured, NOCPPO will continue the investigation until the culprits are behind bars. We will double our crime prevention and anti-criminality efforts,” De Chavez said in a statement.

He also called on San Carlos City residents to cooperate with authorities by providing any information that could help resolve the case swiftly.

He stressed that community cooperation is crucial for the swift apprehension of the suspects.