By AARON B. RECUENCO
Police operatives have rescued a kidnapped South Korean restaurateur at the parking lot of the Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros, Manila, following the arrest of four people, three of them are also Koreans.
The Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) is now hunting down four alleged agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), one of them identified as a certain Carlos Garcia, who were squealed by one of the arrested Korean suspects.
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), identified the rescued victim as Lee Jung Dae, a restaurant owner in Pampanga who was kidnapped inside his residence in Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga.
“They actually kidnapped four Koreans on November 24. Aside from Lee Jung Dae, they also took three of his Korean employees,” said Dela Rosa who led yesterday’s presentation of the arrested suspects.
The chief PNP identified the three other victims as Kim Dae Hyun, Jung Ju Wan and Kim Woo Min. They were taken a few hours before the suspect abducted Lee.
Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, AKG director, said the suspects negotiated for the release of the victims for P1.2 million.
Lee’s girlfriend delivered the money at the Marquee Mall in Angeles City but only the three Korean employees were released.
“Mr. Lee was not released and was transported to Intramuros, Manila for another P1.2 million ransom demand,” said Dumlao.
The PNP-AKG, however, got hold of the information beforehand which led to the operation that caused the arrest of twin brothers Cha Jae Young and Cha Jae Sun and their Filipino cohort Raymond Flores.
The fourth suspect, Kim Min Kwan, alias Michael Lim, was collared near his condominium unit in Ermita, Manila.
MODUS
Based on the investigation, the group of the suspect would spot a potential victim using South Koreans. In this case, Lee was spotted as a victim.
“It was the twin brothers who conducted the casing and surveillance on Lee who owns and operates a restaurant in Angeles City,” said Dumlao.
Once the target is identified, Kim would connect with his contacts with the Bureau of Immigration to come up with a document that would allow operation against illegal alien.
“The BI personnel will prepare an unofficial Mission Order listing all the would-be targets. This MO will be shown to the unsuspecting Korean nationals who would be forcibly dragged into the waiting motor vehicle,” said dela Rosa.
Lee was victimized using the modus operandi.
BI AND NBI
Police are now conducting investigation to identify the other members of the group both at the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Immigration.
During the investigation, however, Kim spilled the beans and squealed the names of Carlos Garcia, who carries the alias Oxo, whom he identified as an NBI agent assigned in Angeles City.
“The Koreans had linked up with Carlos Garcia at Pagcor in Angeles City. With him were three alleged NBI agents on board a white sedan. Accordingly, there were three alleged NBI agents believed to be assigned at the NBI Regional Office in Angeles City,” said Dela Rosa.
“Two alleged BID (Bureau of Immigration and Deportation) agents are also involved in this operation. They are now the subject of the investigation of the AKG,” he added.
JEE ICK JOO
Dela Rosa said that the case is similar to that of Jee Ick Joo who was kidnapped and killed in October last year by a criminal group composed of scalawag policemen and NBI agents.
Jee was forcibly taken from his house also in Angeles City and was taken to Camp Crame in Quezon City where he was strangled to death. His captors still demanded ransom from his family.
At the course of the probe, some anti-illegal drugs cops, including an official with a rank equivalent to lieutenant colonel in the military, were identified. Aside from them, some NBI agents and officials were charged but the case against some of the charged NBI men were dismissed.
Jee was taken using the anti-drugs war while Lee was kidnapped using the government’s drive against illegal aliens as the modus.
“This almost the same as Jee Ick Joo case but the difference is that no policeman is involved here, those involved are members of the other law enforcement agencies,” said Dela Rosa.
