COTABATO CITY — Police arrested late Tuesday two carnapping suspects, one of whom was caught in the act of stealing a motorcycle at the parking lot of a government hospital here.
In a report released Thursday, Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio, city police director, identified the suspects as Joharie Mamao Saguia, of Barangay Tanuel, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, and Rala Omar Tugao, 22, of Barangay Poblacion 8, this city.
Octavio said Saguia was caught in the act of tinkering with a Kawasaki motorcycle (LD 4335), owned by Nasrip Mundas, 37, a security guard at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center, at the parking lot past 10 p.m.
He said Mundas and his colleagues collared Saguia and handed him over to police authorities following the incident.
“Upon investigation, Saguia pointed to Tugao as the alleged mastermind of the carnapping syndicate,” Octavio said.
A subsequent police operation led to the arrest of Tugao, a passenger vehicle driver, who denied personally knowing Saguia and his alleged connection to the carnap syndicate.
Octavio said probers are still trying to determine the connection of Tugao to the carnapping group.
About a dozen motorcycles have been reported stolen here since January this year. Several of the motorbikes, however, were recovered in police follow-up operations. (Noel Punzalan/PNA)
