Thieves broke into the Palermo Transit Institute in the early morning hours by breaching the roof, stealing cash, equipment, and a service weapon. The robbery, estimated at around 14 million pesos, was discovered by staff at the start of the workday. Huila authorities are investigating with support from the Judicial Police.
In a major theft, criminals entered the facilities of the Palermo Transit Institute in Huila department during the early morning of February 21, 2026. They cut a section of the tile roof and removed part of the ceiling to access the second floor, where the telematics office houses computer equipment and monitoring systems.
The robbery was detected around 7:00 a.m., when staff arrived to open for public service. William Javier Pastrana Cely, director of Palermo's Transit and Transport Secretariat, recounted: “When we entered, we noticed the damage to the ceiling. They had clearly cut a section of the tile and removed part of the roof to enter the telematics office, where the DVRs, equipment, and entire information system are located”.
Colonel Héctor Jairo Betancourt, commander of the Neiva Metropolitan Police, said the report came in at 7:30 a.m. regarding the theft at the municipal Mobility Secretariat using the suction cup method. “When staff arrived in the morning, they noticed the roof was exposed at the top. Upon inspection, they found the security system missing: four cameras were stolen along with other investigative items,” the officer explained.
The thieves took 7,548,000 pesos in cash, clothing from the custody office, a service weapon of the Smith & Wesson .38 long caliber type, technological equipment, and four surveillance cameras. Pastrana estimated total losses, including infrastructure damage, at approximately 14.5 million pesos.
There was no permanent security at the time, as the contract covers 12 hours from Monday to Friday, with only camera monitoring at night. The alarm triggered once but was cut by the intruders. This report is part of the ongoing investigation with the Attorney General's Office. The Neiva Metropolitan Police assigned a Judicial Police team to gather evidence and identify those responsible.
