(Eagle News) — Police arrested in Manila the leader of a robbery group that had just victimized two Chinese nationals, and three of his cohorts, the Philippine National Police said.
The PNP said Ali Asgar Pendatum Baraguir and three others who were not identified were nabbed in a hotel in Malate on December 29, only a day after they robbed their victims along JW Diokno Blvd.
The police are still looking for other suspects.
Based on the victims’ statements, Baraguir, who was their personal driver, stopped the vehicle on JW Diokno Blvd. and unlocked their doors right after they withdrew P32,400,000 in cash.
One of the other suspects, Baraguir’s brother, then barged inside the vehicle and declared the robbery.
The victims were dumped along the road, and reported the crime to the PNP-Highway Patrol Group, which dispatched a special operations and intelligence team.
According to the PNP, the team managed to trace the whereabouts of Baraguir and the others with the help of a taxi driver who had dropped them off there after the crime was committed.
The police tracked down the taxi driver after closed-circuit television camera footage showed the suspects hailed the taxi soon after the robbery.
The police confiscated one cal .45 pistol, a Toyota Vios and a Ford Raptor in front of a gasoline station on MIA road in Pasay City.
Also seized was an undetermined amount of money.
