Thieves tunnel their way inside Gaisano Ozamiz Shopping Mall on New Year’s Eve and cart away around P42 million in jewelries and cash. Photo supplied by PNP Ozamiz
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 2 January) – Thieves barged inside a popular shopping mall in Ozamiz City on New Year’s Eve using a tunnel and carted away around P42 million in jewelries and cash, police said Tuesday.
Major Euridecy Revillas, Ozamiz City police deputy chief, said they arrested April John Permanhil, a carnival worker, for alleged involvement in the robbery incident at the Gaisano Shopping Mall.
Police believed the thieves started tunneling their way to the mall on New Year’s Eve from the carnival.
The robbery incident was discovered at 11:48 a.m. Monday, January 1, the Ozamiz City police said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Revillas said they are also looking into three other “persons of interests” who were caught on CCTV breaking into the vaults of the GKC Jewelry Shop and Oro Italia Fine Jewelry Shop, which are located inside the Gaisano Shopping Mall.
He said the thieves also forcibly opened the Metro Bank automated teller machine (ATM) inside the mall.
“The starting point of the tunnel was at the carnival inside a private compound beside the mall,” Revillas said.
He said that from the carnival, the thieves dug into a concrete drainage canal and made their way inside the mall by punching a hole at the food court area.
Once inside the mall, Revillas said the thieves forcibly opened the Metro Bank ATM machine and took P80,000 in cash.
Revillas said the thieves also broke into the vault of the GKC Jewelry Shop, carting P1,721,903 in jewelries and money.
He said they also took P40 million in jewelries and cash from the Oro Italia Fine Jewelry Shop.
The PNP Forensic Unit processed the crime scene, Revillas said. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
