AFTER victimizing a private nurse in a passenger bus in Sta. Ana, Manila, five members of the notorious ‘Dura-dura Gang’ were arrested by the Manila Police District-District Police Intelligence Operation Unit (MPD-DPIOU).
MPD Director PGEN Arnold Abad thus warned the public against the operation of the said gang, noting that their mode of operation is distracting the prospective victim while other suspects steal from him or her.
Abad said the suspects are now detained and have been charged before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office following their arrest by MPD-DPIOU operatives under PMaj. Kevin Rey Bautista.
In his report, Bautista said the five suspects, all residents of Old Sta Mesa in Manila, were arrested on the complaint of a 53-year-old private nurse who hails from San Juan City.
Bautista said the crime took place at around 9 a.m. of July 15 along Old Panaderos in Sta. Ana, Manila.
The victim was said to be on board a passenger bus that was cruising along Taft Avenue in Malate, when one of the suspects bumped her while they were getting off the bus, while another one tapped her on the right shoulder to get her attention.
After getting out of the bus, the victim saw them board two black motorcycles. While mounting the motorcycles, one of the suspects slid into his bag what appeared to be the victim’s cellphone, so that she checked on her bag and discovered that her phone was no longer there.
Immediately, the victim went to the MPD to report the matter.
The suspects were arrested during a follow-up operation by Bautista’s men, who also succeeded in recovering the victim’s cellphone and the two motorcycles they used to flee the scene.
“Isa lang naman ang sistema, i-di-distract ‘yung tao para madukutan, pagka ‘yung atensyon mo ay na-divert na tsaka po sila dudukutan. So, teamwork po ang ginagawa nila. Pwedeng sasabihin, miss may dura ka po dito, so pagtingin mong ganun ‘yung atensyon mo nandun, o kaya naman duduraan ka talaga, siyempre iilag ka,” ” PGEN Abad said.
A subsequent verification made showed that the suspects were also involved in cases of illegal gambling, robbery and theft and violation of Republic Act 10591 in relation to Omnibus Election Code, among others.
