COTABATO CITY — Police impounded on Tuesday a total of 132 vehicles comprising motorbikes, tricycles and a multicab minivan in Pikit, North Cotabato for lack of pertinent papers ranging from non-registration of vehicles, franchise violations, and expired drivers’ licenses.
Pikit Police chief, Chief Insp. Romy Castañares, said Tuesday’s operation under Oplan Lambat-Sibat, a dragnet operation to catch small-time criminals and repetitive offenders, was carried out in coordination with the North Cotabato Police and the Land Transportation Office.
“The violators can get their vehicles at the police impounding area once they present the proper documents and receipt payment for their corresponding fines at the Pikit municipal hall,” Castañares said in an interview over a local radio station.
He said the operation was launched following a rise in cases of robbery and drive-by killings by riding-in-tandem suspects in Pikit these past several weeks.
“We expect crimes to drop once more in the locality with our intensified campaign against unregistered vehicles used in criminal activities,” Castañares said.
Similar operations are set to take place in other parts of the province within the next few days. (Noel Punzalan/PNA)
