Police arrested on Wednesday eight foreign workers for allegedly abducting their 32-year-old countryman in another casino-related kidnapping in Pasay City.
But the arrest did not come easy as the Chinese suspects engaged the policemen in a car chase and even hit one of the police cars, said Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, director of the police’s Anti-kidnapping Group (AKG).
He identified the arrested suspects as Li Ming, 33; Li Guohua, 39; Zou Guanping, 41; Wang Congcong, 33; Ni Yue, 25; Wu Min, 24; Liu Fangyu, 29; Fang Zhaodi, 29.
Estomo said the operation started when security officers of the Solaire Hotel and Casino sought police assistance about the alleged abduction of a certain Zhang Benqin Abo.
Police then conducted pursuit on the route taken by the suspects based on the information provided by hotel and casino security.
At around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, the AKG operatives rescued the victim who was abandoned at the PITX Avenue in Parañaque City.
“He was found with both hands wrapped with packaging tape and blindfolded. The victim narrated to the operatives what happened to him and gave the description of the suspects and the vehicle being used,” said Estomo.
While roaming around Paranaque and nearby areas, police chanced upon the vehicle which eventually led to the arrest after the suspects were cornered.
Seized from them were a .45-caliber pistol and assorted cellular phones.
Hundreds of Chinese were already arrested since 2017 over casino-related kidnappings wherein the modus operandis to entice Chinese tourists to play in the casino.
Loan sharks allegedly led by Chinese would then provide money for losing players and would kidnap and beat them up. They would later sent videos to their relatives in China to force them to pay. (Aaron Recuenco)