BACOLOD CITY – Police recovered a total of 1,000 bags of stolen sugar worth P3.2 million in a warehouse in Barangay Busay, Bago City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, September 26, following an alleged hijacking incident in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental on Monday night, September 25.
POLICE recover 1,000 bags of stolen sugar amounting to P3.2 million in a warehouse in Barangay Busay, Bago City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, September 26. (Photo courtesy of La Carlota City Police Station)
Police Major Joeil Reclamado, Murcia, Negros Occidental police chief, said the drivers alleged that the two wingvan trucks each loaded with 500 bags of sugar were traveling from Binalbagan, Negros Occidental when five unidentified persons flagged them upon arriving in La Carlota City.
The drivers also alleged that they allowed the unidentified persons to board their vehicles as they thought that they were co-drivers, according to Reclamado.
However, these persons allegedly declared a hijack and brought the drivers to various areas in the province while they were hogtied and blindfolded at the back of the vehicles.
Reclamado said the drivers were rescued after their vehicle was sighted allegedly abandoned in Barangay Pandanon, Murcia, early Tuesday.
Several hours later, Police Col. Leo Pamittan, Negros Occidental police director, said that one of the drivers told the police that the sugar was unloaded in a warehouse in Bago City.
Based on investigation, police found out that nine persons were hired to unload the sugar from the two trucks.
Pamittan said the incident was initially reported as hijacking based on the allegations of the drivers only to find out that it was a case of “hijack me.”
He said that the statement of the truck owner and the buyer of the sugar also helped in the investigation, after they revealed that the trucks have a Global Positioning System (GPS) which tracked the movement of the vehicles.
From there, Pamittan said they came up with a conclusion that the truck drivers and the warehouse caretaker were in connivance.
Based on the GPS, the vehicles stayed in an isolated area in Pontevedra, Negros Occidental for almost seven hours, contrary to the earlier statement of the drivers that they were brought to various areas, according to Pamittan.
Pamittan said the recovered bags of sugar and the two wingvan trucks will be placed under the custody of Bago City Police Station, including the two drivers.
Appropriate charges will be filed against them, as well as the other conspirators.