TELEPHONE COMPANIES GET RELIEF

Police nab 2 suspects

LINGAYEN – Another task force was recently formed -Task Force Spaghetti!

It’s mission is to neutralize operations of a gang stealing cable lines of telephone companies in the province, and to monitor activities of junkshops whose primary client is the gang that calls itself Spaghetti Gang.

Senior Superintendent Alan Purisima, provincial police director, has directed the police chiefs, particularly in areas where cable wire thefts have been reported, to intensify their monitoring in their respective areas.

Purisima also directed Supt. Noli Taliño, deputy provincial director for operations and Supt. Rolando Magno, group director of Special Operations Group, to conduct special operations against members of gang.

Initial operations immediately yielded results as task force elements, in coordination with Binmaley police, arrested two persons selling stolen cable copper wires in barangay San Isidro Norte.

The latest to be arrested was Jhudy Rosario, 21, resident of Cabanbanan, Manaoag town. His accomplice, managed to escape but Rely Lamsen of Dagupan City was caught buying the stolen cables in Dagupan City.

The police seized from Lamsen one sack containing burnt telephone wires ready for delivery to her buyer.

Lamzen has been in the market buying burnt bronze and copper wires at P200 per kilo.

Seized from Rosario were a 95-meter long cable and some cutting equipment.

The police believe it made a breakthrough in last Thursday’s arrest when the arrested suspects expressed willingness to cooperate with the police to pin down their cohorts.

Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (DIGITEL) and Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDT) Company reported about 30 theft incidents in 2005.

Edmund Pedro, area commercial operations manager of DIGITEL in Dagupan City told local newsmen that the syndicate has been very active lately.

He noted that cable thefts were happening in almost all towns where they operate. He said the syndicate has been noted to be operating about three or four times a week, in Mangatarem, Manaoag, San Carlos City, Malasiqui, Bayambang, Mangaldan, Dagupan City, Calasiao and in eastern Pangasinan towns. — EVA

5 gangs eyed

Based on initial investigations, five groups have been identified to be engaged in theft of telephone cable lines.

Pedro confirmed that cable theft cases were minimized during the fourth quarter last year but these became very rampant during the first four months of 2006.

The latest incident was Thursday dawn in San Isidro Norte, Binmaley where one suspect was caught in the act of sawing cable lines. The previous night, the thieves struck on Digitel cable lines along the Maramba Boulevard in Lingayen.

On the same night, the cable lines of Digitel as well as that of PLDT along de Venecia Highway in Dagupan were also stolen.

On the other hand, the submerged cable lines of PLDT were cut by cable thieves but who were, however subsequently arrested while two of these were debarking the telephone cable inside the former Pantranco terminal.

So far, six cable thieves have been arrested and charged, all in Dagupan City.

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