MABALACAT CITY – Suspected members of the Acetylene Gang bore a tunnel from a drainage canal and under the Mabiga Pawnshop along the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Mabiga here and robbed it of still undetermined amount of cash and jewelry.
Police said the robbery could have been committed Saturday night but was only discovered the following day.
Found inside the pawnshop were a blow torch which was apparently used in opening the vault as well as acetylene and LPG cylinders and various tools.
A hole on the floor of the pawnshop big enough for a person to go through was also discovered after the robbery.
Last Sunday, police cordoned off the area as members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the place and combed it for more evidence.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that police authorities in cooperation with the Department of Public Works and Highways 3 have started checking drainage systems and canals in areas where banks, pawnshops and other big establishments are situated to prevent similar robberies.
In the City of San Fernando, the police said at least 80 percent of covered drainages have been inspected for possible traces of the Acetylene Gang believed to be responsible in the foiled robbery attempts of a pawnshop and a thrift bank in the city.
He said robbers utilize covered canals and drainages before digging further into their prospective targets.
