By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is now preparing charges against a junk shop operator in the city, for allegedly storing and accepting stolen telecommunication batteries worth P15.1 million.

BCPO director, Police Colonel Noel Aliño said yesterday afternoon they recovered 15 telco batteries worth P100,000 each from three suspects identified as 30-year-old Erwin Aribato, 26-year-old Romely Quiatchon and 30-year-old Joseph Villanueva, all residents of the city’s Barangay Banago.

According to Aliño, they received a tip-off from the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office and the Mabinay Municipal Police Station that the suspects were transporting stolen batteries to Bacolod.

The information eventually led to their arrest on Mabini Street in the city’s Barangay 25, as the police tracked down a black van used by the suspects to transport the alleged stolen goods to JLC junk shop, owned by Dennis Coo, based on its business permit.

The police also raided the junk shop and found 136 telco batteries.

The confiscated items were later shown to representatives of two telecommunication companies and confirmed that they own the batteries.

Aliño said junk shop workers immediately fled in different directions when police entered the shop.

He said he issued a recommendation to the city government to revoke the junk shop’s business permit and have it closed.

Aliño also said they are deepening their investigation into the suspects’ backgrounds, as one of them has already been confirmed to have an existing warrant for robbery, while another had a previous illegal drug charge.

Police are also trying to find out if the three suspects are operating as an organized crime group.

They have been handed over to the custody of the Mabinay police station./DGB, WDJ