After robbery incident at SM North EDSA on Sunday, December 15, 2013, Philippine National Police (PNP) decided to ban buying of hammers inside shopping malls.
The agreement between authorities and mall owners took effect last Monday after both parties agreed the customers who would like to purchase the item may able to claim it outside the mall premises after the customer presented the receipt.
Notorious robbery syndicate, “Martilyo Gang,” consist of five to seven members were involved in the incident based on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
In the wake of daring heist, President Benigno Aquino III and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas along with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisimawho, immediately rushed into the crime scene.
According to the reports, armed suspects used hammer and crowbars bought in a do-it-yourself store (ACE Hardware) inside the mall smashing the display case, scooping off all its jewelry contents and mingling into the crowd.
P5 million worth of jewelries were reported stolen during the mishap and no shot were fired on the robbery incident.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Carmelo E. Valmoria, said they are tracking down the suspects from daring robbery incident from a supposed to be highly guarded mall and Crime Laboratory experts are trying to lift forensic evidence from the equipment used after Quezon City Police District (QCPD) released the composite character sketch.
