Sun Star Cebu News
Friday, February 6, 2009
FOUR Turkish nationals were arrested Wednesday afternoon in Mandaue City after they allegedly stole cash from a moneychanger’s shop that belongs to a policeman.
Their arrest triggered more complainants from at least four other establishments in neighboring cities and towns. These establishments’ representatives went to the police and identified the suspects as the ones who stole their money too.
This was how the suspects allegedly operated: they pretended they wanted to have some dollars changed. One of them then inspected the bills, saying he or she wanted to look for a desired letter in the bill’s serial numbers. That person would then drop some of the bills on the floor and step on them, or secretly keep some bills while a companion distracted the shop’s personnel.
In his report, the Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB) chief, Supt. Jason Capoy, identified the women as Zeyner Ince Surhan, 55, and Sayar Gizem, 19, and the men as Murat Altauntas, 28, and Yunos Baijan, 32.
All four are from Istanbul, Turkey, based on their passports.
They are now detained at Subangdaku Police Station, while the police prepare a theft complaint against them based on the account of Julius Cabatingan, 24, a teller at the moneychanger’s shop.
Cabatingan’s shop in Barangay Centro, Mandaue City was where the suspects had a transaction at 4 p.m. last Wednesday.
The two women entered Cabatingan’s shop and asked to change a $100 bill. When the teller handed them P4,700 in different denominations, the older woman jumbled up the bills. She said she was looking for a particular letter in the bills’ serial numbers for her souvenir collection.
Meanwhile, the younger woman intervened and inquired if she could have 500,000 in Vietnamese currency changed to pesos.
While Cabatingan’s attention was diverted, the older lady allegedly kept P2,500 worth of bills given to her. She then cancelled the transaction, took her $100 back and returned the other peso bills.
Traced
When Cabatingan noticed that the money returned to him was short, he immediately called his brother, who was less than a kilometer away.
SPO1 Rico Cabatingan, who owns the shop, immediately arrived on his motorcycle, tracked down the suspects’ car even if it has no plate number and called for back-up.
IDMB personnel rushed to support him and arrested the suspects somewhere in Barangay Subangdaku, some three kilometers away, at 5:40 p.m.
The operations chief and cashier of Fooda Savers Mart in Consolacion town went to the IDMB yesterday and said the suspects used the same modus operandi last Monday and carted away P35,000 from two cashiers.
Fastwin Computer cashier Cerila Baldo also arrived and identified the suspects as the ones who took P7,500 from the store last Jan. 31.
A lawyer from White Gold House, a certain Atty. Cabatingan, called up the IDMB office and said they are also preparing charges against the suspects.
Before lunch yesterday, Melodina Benaro, cashier of Save More grocery at Elizabeth Mall in Cebu City, also went to the IDMB and identified the suspects as the ones who took P7,500 from the store last April 25, 2008.
IDMB investigator PO3 Protacio Tago said they received numerous calls from a hotel, gasoline stations and stores who will also file complaints against the suspects
Unsa na ni wala matagbaw sa FIVE SIX ? Kamo mga ka Istorya basin na biktima sab mo ani...
4 Turkish nationals arrested for series of thefts in Cebu
Originally Posted by yankee1264
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