2 long wanted vehicle thieves arrested in Pagadian City

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Two notorious carnappers implicated in no fewer than 20 heists in Zamboanga del Sur in Region 9 and in nearby provinces in the Bangsamoro region were arrested by policemen two hours after they stole a new multi-purpose motorcycle trike in Pagadian City on Tuesday night.

In separate reports on Wednesday, the Pagadian City Police Office and the Zamboanga Del Sur Provincial Police identified the suspects as Alinor Dimaporo Lomala, 38, and his 43-year-old accomplice, Cajdar Amie Lucmac, now both detained.

Lomala and Lucman were both under surveillance since 2022 by police intelligence units in Region 9 and covert operatives under the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for their involvement in at least 20 vehicle heists, some perpetrated in towns Lanao del Sur, which is under PRO-BAR's jurisdiction.

The duo was intercepted by policemen while about to leave Pagadian City late Tuesday using a car after they had stolen a motorcycle trike parked near commercial establishments in Barangay San Francisco that they had immediately passed on to accomplices, now subject of a police search operation.

The policemen who flagged down Lomala and Lucmac found inside their getaway car assorted duplicate car keys, tools for dismantling car door locks and an unlicensed .38 caliber revolver.

Their images were captured by security cameras in the establishments around the spot from where they stole the motorcycle trike, according to the local police.

The police will use the security camera recordings collected by investigators as additional evidence in prosecuting Lomala and Lucmac for carnapping.