The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) arrested a man who stole P500,000 from a money changer on Tomas Morato Avenue, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City.
Police identified the suspect as alias “Galo,” 25, a resident of Barangay South Triangle.
According to the police report, the robbery occurred at around 12:16 p.m. on Oct. 4. Galo went to a money changer on Tomas Morato Avenue to inquire about exchange rates for 3,800 euros and 5,000 U.S. dollars.
After agreeing on the rate, he stepped outside, claiming he needed to talk to his wife. When he returned, he pretended to get money from his backpack but instead pulled out a firearm, threatened the teller, and took P500,000 before fleeing in a sedan. The teller immediately reported the incident to the police.
A follow-up operation was launched by teams from PS 10, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), the District Intelligence Division (DID), and the District Anti-Carnapping Unit (DACU).
He was nabbed at around 11:40 a.m. on Oct. 6 on Marcos Highway in Barangay Santolan, Pasig City.
Police recovered P400,000 cash, a mobile phone, a sedan, and an airsoft pistol with a magazine.
Upon checking the QCPD records through the Investigation Solution Automatic Verification (ISAV) system, authorities found out that the suspect had a previous case of qualified theft filed in August 2023.
The suspect will face charges of robbery (hold-up) and for violation of Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act of 2013, before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.