Four women shop-lifters nabbed by cops in Ecija bust

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, April 8, 2011-Police Supt. Samuel Sevilla, city chief of police in this town reported that four women suspected shoplifters were arrested by police the other day after trying to smuggle products out of the Walter-Mart shopping complex who have  successfully sneaked grocery items from big malls in Tarlac City and inside the Clark Special Economic Zone.  

Sevilla identified the four as Nanette Kindipan, 24, of La Trinidad, Benguet; and Marilyn Serami, 39; Racquel Esteban, 39 and Jackilou Torral, 28, all of Baguio City.

Sevilla said that the four were arrested inside the Walter-Mart parking lot where their get-away vehicle identified as a Kia Pregio van with license plate AHA-567 was parked. Police also found several assorted grocery items supposedly part of the loot they took from malls in Central Luzon.

Sevilla said that prior to the suspects’ arrest, the mall’s two security guards alerted his men on the presence of the four women at the parking lot, apparently on their way to escape after looting some of the items at the mall. Earlier, mall personnel monitoring a Close Circuit Television camera spotted the four who were suspiciously roaming around the supermarket inside the mall.

A police team led by SPO4 Francisco Sudla was dispatched to the scene and immediately sealed off the exit points and arrested the four. Also arrested was driver Arnel Saguid, 41, also of Baguio City.     

Sevilla said that the arrest of the four shoplifters was no mean feat considering that they have also successfully carried out their illegal activities in Benguet, at the SM mall in Tarlac City and at the Puregold mall inside Clark.

He said that the suspects normally hide the items they loot inside their underwear to avoid detection.

“Prior to their arrest, they have virtually mastered the art of shoplifting. Imagine inside Clark where security and monitoring is tight, they were able to sneak out grocery items. We were fortunate that they were spotted at a CCTV camera installed inside the mall,” he said.

Sevilla estimated that at least P30,000 worth of groceries was loaded inside the van used by the suspects. (Jason de Asis)