BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The city’s chief detective is sniffing out a new modus operandi of criminals stealing dogs anf other pets: the barter of a stolen pet for meth.
Major Joery Puerto, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Management Unit of the Bacolod City Police Office, told DNX they have probed one case in Barangay 27 where a Shi Tzu was stolen and traded for shabu.
He said they were able to identify the dog thief, locate the drug peddler and rescue the dog.
Puerto could not say, however, if the cases of dogs being stolen around the city is part of this new criminal style.
“Those are just isolated cases,” he said.
Owners of two dogs have reported recently that their pets were stolen, one a Golden Retriever puppy in Mansilingan village, the other a Shi Tzu in Tangub village.
Both dog breeds command substantial prices in the market with Golden Retrievers fetching prices between P15,000 to P40,00 for puppy while Shi Tzu puppies are sold between P5,000 to P25,000 a pup.
