The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced Monday it has arrested a member of the Police Security and Protection Group for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle.

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said Chief Master Sergeant Allan Casanas was arrested by members of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) Region 4-A office with the help of officers from the PNP Highway Patrol Group in Laguna on Sunday evening.

Carlos said the cop was behind the wheel of a silver Toyota Innova when he was apprehended along Chipeco Avenue in Barangay Halang, Calamba City in Laguna 7:20 pm Sunday.

IMEG undercover officers placed the PSPG member under surveillance amid information he was using a stolen motor vehicle.

On Sunday evening, IMEG operatives, with the assistance of members of the PNP-HPG flagged down the accused and placed him under arrest after a check with the HPG Vehicle Information Management System showed he was in possession of a wanted stolen motor vehicle.

A record check showed that the wagon originally owned by one Jeanet Gisalan of Malate was reported to have been stolen in front of No. 22 Scout Borromeo Street in Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City on August 28, 2012.

When intercepted, the accused was driving the wagon with the license plate number PBI-531 which was found to have been originally issued to a black Ford Focus Hatchback registered under the name of Total Philippines Corp.

“The suspect was asked for documents as proof of ownership of the vehicle but failed to show any,” said Carlos.

The policeman was stripped of his PNP-issued caliber 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing 20 live ammunition.

The stolen wagon with engine no. 2KD6889583 and chassis nos. UN4051309 will be subjected to further examination by the PNP-HPG and the Forensic Group.

Carlos said the arrest of the accused should be a fair warning to all members of the police force that they have a ‘zero tolerance policy’ on policemen involved in all kinds of irregularities including those using recovered motor vehicles or motorcycles recovered in police operations or are in actual possession of stolen SUVs, cars and motorbikes and are using them or trying to sell them to other people.

The suspect is now under the custody of the IMEG 4-A Office for filing of criminal and administrative charges that will automatically lead to his expulsion from the police force. PNP-PIO