COTABATO CITY – Police recovered on Monday, December 1, a stolen vehicle from Lucena City, Quezon, marking the 15th carnapped vehicle intercepted in the Bangsamoro region since 2023.

Regional Highway Patrol Unit–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (RHPU-BAR) chief Police Colonel Davin Brillantes and Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay said Wednesday that a team led by Senior Master Sergeant Allimar Sangeban stopped the Toyota Hilux at a major thoroughfare in Lamitan City.

Authorities said the operation was triggered by tips from vigilant informants and local officials who learned that the vehicle—missing for months—was circulating in Basilan, one of five provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Police added that the swift recovery of the stolen vehicle was made possible through a hidden GPS device installed in the truck.

The vehicle’s driver was held for questioning as investigators work to determine how the Hilux made its way from Luzon to Basilan.

Police officials requested that the owner’s identity be withheld for now while coordination efforts continue.

Brillantes thanked Lamitan City officials and Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman for backing law enforcement operations that have helped recover carnapped vehicles trafficked into the region.

Data from the Police Regional Office–BAR under Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman show that RHPU-BAR and other police units have seized 15 stolen vehicles in the past 24 months, all traced to thefts committed outside BARMM.

All recovered vehicles have since been returned to their rightful owners.

About The Author

John Unson

John Unson is a veteran Filipino journalist who serves as a staff writer for the regions “Central Mindanao and BARMM” at The Philippine Star. He covers news and events in Mindanao — especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the broader Central Mindanao area. His reporting spans a wide range of topics including security incidents, terrorist-related developments, drug enforcement, smuggling operations, social issues, and regional politics.

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