A man was arrested for allegedly extorting more than P150,000 from his victims while posing as an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Quezon City.
Elements of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) arrested Joel James Victoria, 38, in front of drug store along Roosevelt Avenue in Barangay Paraiso around 10 p.m. Thursday.
Computer shop owner Ricky Sampoang filed a complaint after Victoria introduced himself as an NBI agent and demanded from him P150,000 so he would not be charged for his expired business permit.
Apart from Sampoang, Gina Pascual, who happens to be Victoria’s classmate, complained how she got duped by the suspect who promised her of becoming an NBI agent in exchange for P3,500.
During a press briefing Friday afternoon, Senior Insp. Winnie Ann Cale said the fake NBI member was also posing as an intelligence officer of the Narcotics International Assistance Group under the Philippine National Police.
Cale adds Victoria is also wanted by the NBI since 2010 for extorting through social media websites.
Aside from the complainants’ charges, Victoria has also pending warrants of arrest for theft from the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC); and estafa and falsification of documents from the Makati City RTC.
Police confiscated from him various identification cards proving his modus. (Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola)