By AARON RECUENCO
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A police major and a police sergeant were arrested after an entrapment conducted by the police’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) over reports of their extortion racket that preys on owners of fishing vessels in Bicol region.
Nabbed were Police Major John Murray Cutaran, the head of the 502nd Maritime Police Station based in Masbate City; and, Police Staff Sergeant Rommel Naval.
IMEG director Police Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee said manhunt operations are now being conducted against two other men of Curatan, identified as Police Lt. Melencio Huela and Police Staff Sgt. Ronald Puerto.
“The entrapment operation was conducted following a series of validation of intelligence reports regarding the alleged extortion activities of Major Cutaran and his men,” said Lee.
The official said the latest report that served as the basis of their operation was the interception of a fishing vessel and the arrest of its skipper and 28 crew.
Lee said the group of Cutaran contacted the owner of the fishing vessel based in Cebu and demanded R400,000 in exchange for the release of the vessel and its crew.
He said the fishing boat operator sought their help to arrest the erring policemen and traveled all the way from Bantayan Island to Masbate City on board another boat while accompanied by undercover IMEG officers.
Lee said the two were collared in an entrapment at Pier Site in Barangay Bapor, Masbate City on Sunday morning after receiving P200,000 marked money.
“They were immediately disarmed and taken to the Masbate Provincial Police Office. We will be filing criminal and administrative charges against them,” said Lee.
Lee urged the public to seek their assistance against erring cops by contacting them at PNP-IMEG hotlines: Smart- 09989702286 or Globe- 09957952569. He said that information may also be forwarded to Facebook Page: Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group Twitter account : @imeg2017.
