Counter-intelligence operatives in Pasay City arrested a man who faked his own abduction to try to free himself from mounting debt.
Jon Dominic Maceda and his accomplice, Anby Molina, were arrested by members of Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) in an operation at Barangay 183 Zone 9 in Villamor Airbase at around 9:20 p.m. on Monday.
CITF operatives were supposed to rescue Maceda after his sister, Joana Paula Aguilar, asked for assistance on Saturday.
Aguilar said her brother was being held by police officers led by a certain Senior Police Officer 3 Dimaano at the Newport Police Community Precinct in Pasay.
Aguilar told the CITF that Maceda was arrested for a traffic violation and was detained by Dimaano for having no drivers’ license and official receipt/certificate of registration for his car.
Aguilar thought her brother was telling the truth when he claimed that he would only be released if the family paid the police P40,000.
The family then sent P15,000 through money remittance but Maceda remained “detained.”
Then, at around 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Aguilar reported to the CITF that Maceda’s abductors were demanding for P8,000 that would be sent through a different money remittance center.
The CITF then conducted an investigation and launched an entrapment operation at the remittance center in Villamor Airbase where the money was supposed to be received.
During the operation, the operatives found out Maceda was not really abducted and the man who received the money was his accomplice.
Authorities also learned that the Maceda had lost his money to the casino, prompting him to pawn his Toyota Wigo to a casino financier.
Maceda and his accomplice are now detained at the CITF headquarters in Camp Crame.
They were filed with a swindling complaint or violation of Article 318 of the Revised Penal Code before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office. /vvp