Police investigators are looking into the possibility of an "inside job" in the successful operation of seven unidentified armed men who carted away about P1 million in cash and checks from a delivery van of Columbia Marketing in Hacienda Carmenchika, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental on Dec. 28.

Three tracking teams of policemen were formed by Senior Supt. Charles Calima, provincial police director, to pursue the suspects, one of them reportedly armed with an M-16 assault rifle.

The incident took place even as the Negros Occidental police reported having neutralized six robbery-hold-up groups the Mosqueda Gang, Callet Gang, Otso Oros Gang, Alquiza Gang, Sup-ay Gang and Acetylene Gang - in year 2005.

Calima also ordered Pontevedra police chief, Mary Rose Salve Gaspillo, to coordinate with the owner of Columbia Marketing in making background checks of company employees.

The delivery van, which the suspects used as a getaway vehicle, was later found abandoned in Brgy. Ayungon, Valladolid, Negros Occidental.

Pontevedra police investigators have not yet made any breakthrough in the identification of suspects.

Calima assured the victims that they are doing their best to identify and arrest the suspects.

Police investigations show that faces of the suspects were covered with bonnets and they were armed with handguns of various calibers and an M-16 assault rifle during the robbery.*GPB

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