Acetylene Gang strikes Iloilo Pawnshop
About P200,000 cash and a still undetermined worth of jewelries were carted away by robbers, believed to be members of the Acetylene Gang, from Iloilo Pawnshop and Jewelry located in Quezon Street, Iloilo City yesterday.
The heist was discovered by the pawnshop's staff and the security guard after they opened the establishment around 9 a.m.
Senior Insp. Conrado Carganillo, chief of the City Proper Police Station, said there could be two or more suspects. They gained entry at the back of the establishment by dismantling the lock of the steel gate and creating a hole using acetylene torch, a method known to be practiced by the Acetylene Gang.
Carganillo said the culprits could have accomplished the robbery the night before as the pawnshop and its adjoining establishments have no guard on duty at night.
Carganillo said the owner of Iloilo Pawnshop and Jewelry placed the cash missing from the vault at P200,000 while the amount of jewelries lost is still being determined.
All the displayed jewelries which include bracelets, watches, necklaces and earrings were carted away by the robbers.
Noticeably, the "for sale" wall clocks on display and some body accessories made of gemstones were left out by the suspects.
Carganillo said they still don't have the identities of the suspects but they are undergoing hot pursuit operations.
The Acetylene Gang has victimized a number of banks and pawnshops in the city in previous years.
The group's modus operandi includes renting the room adjacent to their target establishment in order to penetrate it easily.