OPERATIVES from the National Bureau of Investigation-Eastern Visayas Regional Office (NBI-EVRO) arrested a businessman while another is being hunted down, after the suspect was found to be selling stolen ‘raw materials metal sheet coils’ during an operation in Tacloban City.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago identified the arrested trader as Marites Alcido, owner of the YHWH Hardware & Construction Supply in Brgy. Abucay, Maharlika Highway, Tacloban City, while being hunted down is Salvador Gloria Jr., owner of the said hardware who was said to have flown to Manila when the operation was conducted.
Prior to this, the NBI received a complaint from Dwightstell Building Systems against an employee said to be engaging in the theft of raw materials from the company’s plant in Cebu, worth P9 million.
Santiago said a test-buy operation was conducted and the company’s Credit and Collections Supervisor talked to a certain ‘Bruce ‘ who, after verification, was found to be connected to YHWH Hardware & Construction Supply.
On June 12, 2024, the buyer was reportedly able to buy white plain raw sheets with the company’s markings and worth P3,218 from the HWH Hardware & Construction Supply.
Another test-buy was done by Dwightstell Building Systems on June 14, 2024 until the buy-bust operation was finally carried out on July 1, 2024.
The operation was conducted by the NBI-EVRO, along with the NBI-Samar District Office and NBI-Cebu District Office which resulted in the recovery of white metal sheet coil with company markings and totaling 1,157 kilos said to be worth P92,560.
Charges for violation of PD 1612 or Anti-Fencing Law of 1979 were filed against Alcido and Gloria at the Tacloban Provincial Prosecutors office.
