The Philippine National Police (PNP) has reported that carnapping incidents continued to drop in April due to preventive police operations against carnapping syndicates.
According to the PNP, a significant 68.3 percent decline in recorded carnapping cases was posted in April 2012, with only 39 carnapping incidents recorded, down from 123 cases recorded in April 2011.
Highway Patrol Group Director, Chief Supt Leonardo Espina said carnapping cases in April 2012 continued the downtrend posted since January and February when 102 cases were recorded, dipping further to 84 cases in March and 39 in April.
According to Espina, aside from aggressive anti-carnapping operations, the HPG is also stepping-up market denial operations to eliminate trafficking in stolen vehicles and cannibalized car parts in the underground market.
A total of 327 carnapping incidents were recorded during the first four months of 2012, dropping 28.9% from the 460 cases recorded during the same 4-month period in 2011.
The four-month downtrend in 2012 is expected to continue and further slump carnapping cases to an all-time low towards the remaining months of the year.
Citing statistics generated from the automated HPG Vehicle Information Management System (VIMS), Espina said the 39 motor vehicles stolen in April were made up of 25 motorcycles and 14 four-wheeled vehicles.
The bulk (79%) of carnapped vehicles in April 2012 were Stolen While Parked (SWP), seven cases (18%) were Forcibly Taken and one case (3%) Failed To Return.
The National Capital Region posted 87% of the carnapping cases in April while 13% were recorded in Calabarzon.
Manila and Quezon City topped the list of Carnapping Prone Areas in Metro Manila with seven and six cases, respectively, followed by Parañaque and Makati each posting two cases of stolen motorcycles.
Espina clarified, however, that the carnapping data reflected in HPG records do not include cases that have been validated not to be carnapping, but were reported as carnapping cases in different Police Stations such as those resulting from Estafa, casino-pawned and other pawned vehicles, spouses’ conflict, non-payment of sales proceeds, refusal to pay monthly amortization especially in motorcycles, insurance fraud, reposed vehicles not turned over by bank agents for insurance claim purposes, hoax or feigned reports for insurance claim purposes and such other related circumstances.
