MANILA, Philippines — A police chase through Manila ended with the arrest of two men allegedly involved in stealing an electric tricycle in Malate — but investigators say the vehicle had already been sold by the time the suspects were caught.
The two men were arrested in Tondo after undercover police officers pursued them early Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to a report by GMA News. CCTV footage showed the suspects running as police closed in on them. Authorities reportedly caught the pair about three minutes after the chase began.
The case began days earlier, when a 32-year-old victim discovered that his newly acquired e-trike had disappeared from a parking area in Barangay 720, Malate, in the early hours of Sept. 6.
The victim said the e-trike had been in use for only about one month. He had intended to use it while taking his two-month-pregnant partner for a medical checkup.
According to the victim, a parking attendant initially thought he himself had taken the e-trike away to charge it. It was only after questioning the attendant that he realized the vehicle was missing.
Witnesses saw the alleged theft
Witnesses reportedly saw two men pushing the e-trike out of the parking area.
Once they were farther away, the suspects allegedly used another vehicle to tow the e-trike, according to police.
Investigators from the Malate Police Station later traced the alleged getaway vehicle and located the two suspects in Tondo.
But the stolen e-trike was no longer with them.
Police eventually located the vehicle in Barangay 108, Tondo, on Tuesday evening. Investigators said it had allegedly been sold for P14,000.
Police uncover alleged “fastbreak” selling scheme
Police Lieutenant Colonel Norman Patnaan, station commander of Manila Police District Station 9, said the alleged group appeared to be moving stolen e-trike components quickly, particularly batteries.
According to Patnaan, batteries could reportedly fetch around P10,000, while the remaining body could potentially be dismantled and sold as parts.
The police official described the alleged practice as a “fastbreak” operation because the stolen components could allegedly be disposed of quickly through online transactions.
The investigation also uncovered another troubling detail: police said the two suspects had previously been jailed for alleged involvement in theft.
The suspects reportedly admitted involvement in the e-trike theft and claimed they were working with two other alleged accomplices, who remained at large as of the latest report.
One suspect, identified only by the alias Dony, reportedly said he was new to the group and received only P500.
Another suspect, identified as Biboy, apologized to the victim.
Suspects face anti-carnapping case
Authorities said the two men would face charges under Republic Act No. 10883, or the New Anti-Carnapping Act of 2016.
Under RA 10883, carnapping generally involves taking a motor vehicle belonging to another person, without consent and with intent to gain. The law provides penalties depending on how the offense was committed.
Recent police operations elsewhere in the country also show that authorities continue to use RA 10883 in pursuing alleged vehicle theft and carnapping cases. The PNP Highway Patrol Group, for example, reported separate anti-carnapping operations in September 2026.
The Manila case also comes amid continuing concerns over vehicle theft and the dismantling or resale of stolen vehicle parts.
The bigger question now
While the stolen e-trike has been recovered, police are still looking for the two alleged accomplices who remain at large.
Investigators are also expected to look into the alleged sale of the stolen vehicle and determine whether other individuals were involved in receiving, dismantling or reselling stolen parts.
For the victim, however, the immediate concern is more personal: the e-trike was not simply a vehicle but something he had recently acquired and intended to use for his family.
The two arrests may have ended the chase.
But police still have two more names to find — and investigators are now looking deeper into the alleged network behind the theft.
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