Police nab 3 suspected motorcycle thieves in Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY — Police arrested three suspected motorcycle thieves during a highway inspection along the Arakan-President Roxas Road in North Cotabato province at around three in the morning of Wednesday. Suspects were identified as Maguid Kamama, 31; Norodin Muhammad, 30; and Nash Lampak, 20, all residents of General Salipada K. Pendatun town in Maguindanao, Chief Insp. Benjamin Rioflorido, chief of President Roxas Philippine National Police (PNP), said. Police recovered from the suspects a stolen motorcycle owned by a certain Joni Gumawas, employee of the Cotabato Provincial Government and a resident of Barangay Poblacion in Arakan; two hand grenades, a .38 caliber revolver, and dried marijuana leaves that weighed five grams. Police personnel immediately set up road blocks along Barangay Upper Ipuan in President Roxas town when it was learned that an XRM 125 motorcycle with plate number MC 2244 was stolen by unidentified suspects in nearby Arakan town, around 12:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Rioflorido said. After two hours of waiting, police saw a motorcycle with three men onboard coming from the upper portion of the highway and immediately flagged them down. When the vehicle matched the features of the stolen motorcycle of Gumawas, Rioflorido ordered the arrest of the suspects. Based on initial investigation, police found out the suspects were members of a group of motorcycle thieves operating in Southwestern Mindanao. “This could be a bigger syndicate and we’re still trying to find out the people behind it. The suspects we’re holding right now could give us clues," said Rioflorido. The arrest of the three suspects came two months after police in President Roxas town, led by Rioflorido, took into custody two most wanted persons in North Cotabato they identified as Maudin Sudang alias ‘Tata’ and Jims Lumincal, also known as ‘Jims Ampao’ and ‘Pogi.’ Sudang and Ampao, based on police records, are facing several murder charges, including the killing in March 2010 of a court employee of the Regional Trial Court based in Kabacan town, and a number of motorcycle theft cases in North Cotabato. Police are now readying charges of illegal possession of firearm and explosives, possession of illegal drugs, and violation of anti-carnapping act against Kamama, Lampak, and Muhammad. — RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV