Five suspected members of the “Gapos Gang” were arrested after allegedly posing as police officers, presenting fake arrest warrants and robbing a family inside their home in Marikina City.
The Eastern Police District identified the suspects by their aliases: “Don-don,” 52; “Ric,” 42; “Ahorn,” 27; “Oryong,” 21; and “Beshir,” 43. Police said four of the suspects are residents of Nueva Ecija and Isabela.
The robbery occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Monday, July 13, at a residence in Barangay Concepcion Dos, where the homeowners and their relatives were sleeping.
Investigators said the suspects forced their way into the house after showing three fake arrest warrants and claiming they were police officers conducting an operation against one of the occupants.
Once inside, the suspects allegedly cut the home’s Wi-Fi connection, destroyed its security cameras and held the victims at gunpoint. They then bound the occupants’ hands with plastic cable ties and duct tape before ransacking the property.
One of the victims managed to secretly use a mobile phone to send a distress message to the Marikina City Police Station before the suspects could completely disable the household’s communications.
Personnel from Police Sub-Station 8 immediately responded and intercepted five suspects as they attempted to escape.
Three other members of the group fled with cash, gold jewelry and a mobile phone reportedly worth millions of pesos. Police have launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects.
Authorities recovered an iPad Pro, a Victorinox wristwatch, a loaded 9mm pistol, two magazines, 19 rounds of ammunition and four loaded improvised firearms, locally known as “sumpak.”
Police also seized plastic cable ties, duct tape, five balaclava masks, five mobile phones, assorted identification cards, a wire cutter and three fake arrest warrants.
The suspects are detained at the Marikina City Police Station and face complaints for robbery with violence or intimidation, usurpation of authority, slight illegal detention, falsification of public documents and violation of Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
EPD Director Brig. Gen. Melecio Buslig commended the Marikina police for their swift response, saying the operation prevented the incident from escalating.
Buslig said authorities would continue pursuing the remaining suspects and dismantling criminal groups that exploit the identity and authority of law enforcement personnel.