9 members of notorious acetylene gang arrested

 CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Combined police operatives were able to neutralize the nationwide operation of the notorious acetylene and bolt cutter gang following the recent arrest of one of its leaders and nine members in separate operations in various parts of the country.

            Chief Supt. Isagani R. Nerez, regional director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, identified the arrested acetylene and bolt cutter gang leader as Julio Bedking, 49, resident of Bakakeng Central, Bengao Road, Baguio City.

            According to Nerez, the gang leader is known by many names and for more than 14 years, he used his favourite aliases James Bastin and Bill Gonzales, which allowed him to evade the law and continue with the group’s widespread illegal activities, particularly the robbing of pawnshops and the brains of the gang.

            “Bedking was arrested by a composite team from the Regional Intelligence Division of the Cordillera Police Regional Office, Baguio City Police Office; Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit – Cordillera; San Fernando City Police Office in Pampanga, Southern Police District – CIDG, Quezon City Police Office, National Capital Region – CIDG, and elements of the Anti-Kidnapping Group after he posted bail for a crime of attempted robbery when he and two other gang members tried to rob a pawnshop on the early morning of January 1, 2014,”Nerez said.

            His most recent arrest was by virtue of a warrant issued by the Regional Trial court (RTC) in Caloocan City.

            The police official explained the real identity of Bedking, which has been the subject of police manhunt for a long period of time, was established for his involvement in numerous pawnshop robberies in many parts of the country over the past several years.

            He said Cordillera operatives received information that he had been using different aliases during his 14-year involvement as a leader of the notorious criminal gang.

            Nerez added the arrest of Bedking came after the arrest of one of his henchmen, Teddy Castro, who was collared by policemen at the Resorts World and Casino in Pasay City last January 19, 2014. It was Cstro who informed law enforcers that Bedking was jailed in San Fernando City, Pampanga for a case of attempted robbery during New Year’s Day.

            He cited the arrest of Bedking and Castro was the result of cooperation by all concerned police units and agencies involved in curbing criminality and sustaining peace and that it was the product of weeks of investigation, intelligence gathering and painstaking takeouts by concerned operatives.

            In a related development, eight members of the acetylene and bolt cutter gang were arrested by elements of the Quezon City Police Office while tunnelling their way to their target pawnshop in the city.

            Nerez disclosed the operation was planned out after the composite team received information from gang members who were previously arrested by Cordillera policemen first week of this month that they will be targeting to rob a pawnshop in Quezon City anytime this month.

            Because of the information, policemen conducted a stakeout operation at the vicinity of Ochoa Pawnshop along Villiongco Street in barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City.

            Nerez identified the arrested gang members during the operation as Cecille Ibanez, 28, a native of Lubangan, Negros Oriental; Ortiz Latungan, 38, a resident of La Trinidad, Benguet; Eric Sectang, 45, also a native of La Trinidad, Benguet; Arthur Bino, 26, a native of Buguias, Benguet; Clarence Dayao, 38, a resident of La Trinidad, Benguet; Tarex Tayaban, 27, a native of Itogon, Benguet; Ruben Sebnangen, 34, a resident of Tadian, Mountain Province and Elmo Bustarde, 34, a native of Tadian, Moutain Province.

            Nerez congratulated all the operating troops and units involved in the successful arrests made on the leader and members of the notorious acetylene gang, citing that they will continue the nationwide manhunt operations against the remaining 30 members of the group who are victimizing pawnshops in different parts of the archipelago.