Anti-kidnapping operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested four Chinese in yet another case of casino-related kidnapping in Paranaque City.
Lt. Col. Elmer Cereno, spokesman of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), said their operatives actually foiled the attempt of the suspects to bring with them the victim identified as Li Xin, a worker in a Makati City-based Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator or POGO.
The arrested suspects were identified as Zhao Liang, 31; Liu Tao, 34; Li Lin, 28; and, Jin Ning, 29. All of them were classified as tourists from mainland China.
Cereno said the incident started when the victim played in a casino in Paranaque City on Saturday night.
When the victim lost, a member of a casino loan shark approached him and offered P200,000 loan for 20 percent interest. He agreed.
But while the victim was already on a losing streak in bacarrat, one of the suspects approached him and demanded that they go out of the casino.
Cereno said the victim made a scene inside the casino out of fear when the suspects were already forcing him out of the casino.
“This caught the attention of the security personnel who all took them to the security office,” he added.
The security personnel of the casino sought the assistance of the AKG when the victim narrated that he was being kidnapped by the suspects.
“We sent our personnel there and effected the arrest of the suspects,” said Cereno.
Cereno said they are now preparing appropriate cases against the four arrested Chinese suspects.
Since 2017, the PNP-AKG has recorded 54 cases of casino-related kidnappings wherein almost all of the suspects and victims are Chinese. The group also arrested and filed cases against more than 120 Chinese. (Aaron Recuenco)
