Five Chinese nationals and a Filipino accomplice, tagged as members of a casino loan syndicate, were arrested in Laguna during a police operation on Monday night for allegedly kidnapping a fellow Chinese high-roller in exchange for ransom.
Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, director of the Philippine National Police-Anti Kidnapping Group, identified the arrested Chinese suspects as Haichao Lin, Hou Zhau Zhou, Sun Yazhou, Wu Gouxing, and Wu Liang.
According to the PNP-AKG Luzon Field Unit, the Chinese nationals were accompanied by a Filipino, whose identity has yet to be established, in their modus to kidnap their clients and demand ransom from their victims’ relatives in China.
Dumlao confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a warehouse in Laguna in a text message to INQUIRER.net on Tuesday.
Kidnap victim Si Yuxiang was reportedly abducted by the suspects on Friday and was tortured as shown in a video sent to his relatives to demand cash in exchange for his liberty.
Si’s family reportedly gave P280,000 for his release but the suspects asked for another P150,000, which prompted his relatives to contact the authorities in China.
The foreign ministry in China then coordinated with the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, which in turn contacted the Anti-Kidnapping Group of the Philippine National Police, according to reports.
The syndicate was involved in loan sharks reportedly preying on casino players who lose big money in different casinos in the country. /jpv