About P40 million worth of jewelry and cash were carted away from a shopping mall in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, on New Year's Day, police said.

Ozamiz City Police said in a statement that the robbery incident inside Gaisano Mall in Purok 3, Barangay Baybay Sta. Cruz was discovered around 11 a.m. Monday, January 1, by an HR employee of the mall.

The police investigation disclosed that the perpetrators, whose identities are still under investigation, gained entrance by digging a hole from a nearby drainage leading to the mall's food court, which also served as their possible exit.

When the perpetrators were able to gain access inside the mall, the authorities said they forcibly opened the installed Automated Teller Machine (ATM), taking the cash inside.

The suspects also gained entrance to two jewelry shops by breaking the glass wall and taking cash and jewelry from the vaults.

One of the perpetrators was arrested by the authorities during follow-up operations, while other perpetrators are still yet to be identified and arrested.

"Intelligence-driven checkpoint operations were already established in all the egress areas of the city, and relentless manhunt operations are still being conducted to arrest other suspects involved in the robbery," Ozamiz City Police said in a statement.

—Report from Hernel Tocmo