Ozamiz Group members hunted down after heist

CEBU CITY – Police authorities are now hunting down the three remaining members of the Ozamiz Group involved in a robbery at J Centre Mall in Mandaue City on Saturday night.

Col. Ildebrandi Usana, Police Regional Office-7 (PRO-7) deputy director for administration, on Monday said they believe the three suspects identified only through their aliases “Tony Boy”, “Ranger” and “Ryan Mark” are still hiding in Cebu province.

The police believed the mall robbery was pulled off by more or less 11 members of the Ozamiz Group.

Eight of the fleeing suspects who were about to leave the Bogo City wharf bound for Masbate were intercepted by the police on Saturday night.

However, four of them

were killed when they fought with the police. They were identified as Glenn Gilberto Tairos, Kevin Plaza Andales, Philip Faburada and Wilfredo Suerte Enguito. One suspect, Arnel Cimafranca, 38, was wounded in the shootout.

It was Cimafranca who later pointed to Tairos as the leader of the group.

The four other suspects identified as Roel Sumingit, Julivyn Quirante, Jun Candelaria, and James Anthony Gomez, are now in the custody at the Mandaue City Police Office along with Cimafranca.

Maj. Emily Santos, chief of the Bogo City Police Station, said the group of Tairos was at the Polambato wharf preparing to board a Ro-Ro (roll on, roll off) vessel bound for Masbate, when a cop, Staff Sgt. Jojit Potot, stopped them and checked their identities.

Potot found out that the beige Toyota Innova they were riding in was similar to the vehicle captured in a closedcircuit television camera at J Centre Mall.

Police operatives recovered from the suspects PHP345,000 in cash, two revolvers, two cold chisels, glass cutters, and clothing.