Robbers cart away P9m-jewelry in daylight heist

MILLIONS of pesos in gold pieces of jewelry were stolen in a brazen daylight robbery of a jewelry store located in the busy market district area here Wednesday morning.

A store employee was injured after the robbers were armed with cal. 45 pistols and a M4 carbine stormed the entrance of Gold Mega Jewelry Store Along J.R. Borja Street in Barangay 29, this city.

Police Colonel Ivan Viñas, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office said closed-circuit TV showed the six armed robbers running out of the jewelry store into their waiting getaway vehicles and fled towards the Divisoria area in the city.

Store employee Judith Abejuela, 57 years old, was rushed to Maria Reyna Hospital where she was declared out of danger.

Viñas said the owner of Gold Mega Jewelry Store told police the robbers took P9 million in gold jewelry.

“We are conducting an investigation right now especially that one of the suspects was armed with an M4 carbine, a military-issued rifle,” Viñas said.

The daylight robbery came after the police went on high alert as city officials launched the “Higalaay Festival,” the month-long festival held in Cagayan de Oro in celebration of the feast day of St. Augustine-patron saint of the city on August 28.

Viñas said the six heavily armed robbers walked into Gold Mega Jewelry Store shortly after it opened at 10 am and pulled out their guns.

He said the store employees resisted and did not open the store prompting the robbers to fire their guns.

“The robber with the M4 carbine fired at the padlock breaking it open,” Viñas said.

Viñas said once inside the store, the gunmen ordered the store personnel to lie on the floor while they smash the store cabinets and grabbed the pieces of jewelry.

The six suspects fled on two motorcycles- a red Honda XRM with plate number 940 and a black Yamaha Mio with plate number 8410.

Police are also looking for a silver or gray Toyota Wigo with plate number 6068, which serves as a lookout vehicle.