SIX suspected car thieves, including a former police officer said to be their ring leader, were killed in a shootout with members of the Traffic Management Group’s Task Force Limbas in Quezon City yesterday morning.

Chief Supt. Perfecto Palad, Traffic Management Group director, identified the ring leader as PO3 Elmer Ramos of the Eastern Police District who went AWOL after he got involved in criminal activities, including car theft. The identities of the five other suspects were still being verified.

Chief Insp. Hansel Marantan of the Task Force Limbas Special Operations Division said they got information from a trader that the suspects had been casing his house on D. Tuazon street in Barangay San Jose.

Police said Ramos’ group wanted to get back at the trader as he had informed authorities of their illegal activities.

Marantan said they spotted a gray Isuzu Crosswind (CTB-288) with spurious license plates.

"My men were trying to accost the suspects for verification when they opened fire. Walang nagawa ang mga tao ko kundi idepensa ang kanilang sarili," he said.

Marantan said the license pate on their vehicle "CTB-288" was later found to have been issued to another vehicle.

Recovered were four guns, a grenade and a knife.

The PNP said there were 773 cases of carnapping last year in Metro Manila, down 42.44 percent compared to 1,145 in 2006. – Raymond Africa