Cell site theft leads to signal disruption; suspects apprehended

IL OIL O–The recent interruption of telecommunication services in Ajuy, Iloilo was traced back to a theft incident at the cell site of a service provider.

Swift action by l aw enforcers led to the arrest of several suspects.

According to Lieutenant Randy Lambungan, head of the Ajuy Municipal Police Station, four suspects were apprehended for the theft of three solar panels and rectifier batteries from a cell site.

The robbery occurred on the night of March 8 when the suspects entered the cell site premises and took the solar panels and batteries. However, due to the weight of the stolen items, they left the items hidden within the cell site compound where they were discovered by a roving security guard.

The security guard immediately reported the incident to the police, prompting them to deploy officers in anticipation of the suspects’ return to retrieve the stolen goods.

In the early hours of March 10, standby police officers observed the suspects returning to the site, leading to their interception before they could load the stolen items onto a vehicle.

The apprehended suspects were identified as Elmer Guzman, Erwin Arivato, and Rogelio Pendon, from Bacolod City, and Franklin Laru- an from Barangay Don Esteban, Lapuz, Iloilo City.

Investigations revealed that two of the suspects were former employees of a contractor working on the cell site, which provided them with knowledge of the site’s layout and security measures, facilitating the theft.

This incident is believed to be linked to an organized syndicate responsible for similar thefts at cell sites in Zarraga and Alimodian towns in Iloilo province.

Authorities seized two vehicles believed to have been used by the suspects in transporting the stolen goods, along with 22 rectifier batteries valued at P1 million.

The suspects are now in police custody and will face charges of robbery./