Amid Christmas shopping at SM North EDSA Mall in Quezon City, a robbery gang using hammers smashed display cases at jewelry stores on Sunday night (Dec. 15).
Based on police reports from the Quezon City Police District, at around 7 p.m., at least three men started smashing jewelry cases on display at the department store located on the ground floor of the said mall.
The suspects grabbed the jewelry and fled afterwards. The incident caused panic among shoppers.
In a statement, SM Supermalls identified the suspects as “Martilyo Gang.”
“The police is on top of the situation and handling the matter. No one was hurt and the mall remains open,” it said.
Hammers and crowbars were recovered after the incident, a police report also said, but denied that there was use of firearms. The hammers were allegedly bought inside the mall.
President Benigno Aquino III and Interiro Secretary Mar Roxas personally checked the crime scene.
Roxas said that about P5 million worth of jewelry was stolen.
In January, robbers also struck SM Megamall, by breaking glass of a jewelry store using pipe wrench also bought inside the mall. Robbers in this incident, however, used firearms.
