₱155,000 worth of cigarettes stolen in Milaor store break-in

MILAOR, Camarines Sur --- More than ₱155,000 worth of cigarettes and about ₱1,000 in cash were stolen from a store in Barangay Dalipay, Milaor, early Tuesday morning, September 8.

According to a report from the Milaor Municipal Police Station, police received a call at around 6:40 a.m. regarding a break-in at a store in Zone 1, Barangay Dalipay. Responding police officers conducted an initial investigation and reviewed CCTV footage from the establishment.

The footage showed a person wearing a pale green hoodie, black shorts and black flip-flops forcing open the store's roll-up doors using a piece of 32-millimeter rebar. Police said the footage also showed the person entering one of the store's extensions without taking anything. The individual was likewise seen communicating with persons who were not visible on the camera and appeared to be positioned on both sides of the building.

The suspect was also seen briefly sitting behind a truck while a vehicle passed by, according to police.

At around 2:15 p.m., the store owner presented receipts for the stolen cigarettes, which were valued at ₱155,432. Police said approximately ₱1,000 in spare change was also taken.

The incident resulted in an estimated total loss of ₱160,932, including the cost of repairing and reinforcing the store's roll-up doors and locks.

Police said screenshots from the CCTV footage showed the suspect's face clearly. Investigators subsequently compared the images with police records and identified a possible suspect.

The police report said records in the Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) showed that the person had previously been the subject of theft and robbery cases in different areas of Camarines Sur.

However, the police report did not establish that the person had been convicted of those previous offenses.

Milaor police have dispatched personnel to conduct follow-up investigation, locate additional CCTV footage and identify other individuals who may have been involved in the incident. Authorities are also working to recover the stolen items.

No arrest was reported as of the issuance of the police certification on September 8.

The store owner urged authorities to adopt a more proactive approach in monitoring individuals who have been released from detention while facing robbery cases. He raised concerns about whether government agencies have a system for monitoring people with previous criminal records, particularly those who are released because victims do not pursue their complaints or cases are not followed through. He said authorities already have records of individuals previously involved in criminal cases but stressed the need to use these records more effectively to prevent similar offenses. He urged authorities to be proactive rather than merely responding after another crime has been committed.