A HIGHLY coordinated robbery syndicate carted away over a hundred iPhones and the register containing cash after executing a brazen, early-morning break-in at a prominent gadget store in Toril District on Wednesday, June 24.
Toril Police Station (PS8) operatives are currently launching massive follow-up operations after thieves completely cleaned out “RAD Gadgets,” stealing 101 iPhone units and ₱24,500 in cold cash.
The total estimated value of the stolen smartphones—consisting of 16 brand-new and 85 secondhand iPhones—stands at a staggering ₱1,822,919.
Initial police investigations revealed that the store owner first discovered the burglary after reviewing the establishment’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) feed at around 9:40 a.m. and immediately alerted a store representative, identified only as alias “John.”
Upon arriving at the scene, John discovered that the two heavy-duty padlocks securing the shop’s roll-up door had been cleanly sliced through, leaving the entrance wide open.
A deeper forensic review of the CCTV footage by investigators unmasked a sophisticated, multi-member operation.
At around 3:13 a.m., three unidentified male suspects armed with a heavy bolt cutter smashed through the locks and breached the establishment, while a fourth companion kept watch outside as a lookout.
However, expanded tracking by PS8 personnel under station commander PMAJ Sheryl Bautista revealed an even larger network.
Investigators discovered a total of eight unidentified suspects—six males and two females—orchestrating the heist.
The group was seen fleeing the scene along MacArthur Highway toward the national highway on board a white Toyota Hiace Grandia getaway van bearing a tampered license plate (NB 788).
The Toril Police Station has officially requested the assistance of the Davao City Forensic Unit XI to sweep the crime scene for latent fingerprinting and digital evidence.
Manhunt and dragnet operations are currently underway across key exit points in the region to identify the suspects and intercept the getaway vehicle.
