HPG major nabbed inside Camp Crame for extortion of OFW

MANILA, Philippines — A police officer detailed with the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) was arrested at his Camp Crame office for allegedly extorting from an overseas Filipino worker (OFW).

Agents of the PNP-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG), who are tasked to catch scalawag police officers, identified the arrested officer as Maj. Raul Salle, deputy chief of HPG’s Operations Management Division.

In her testimony, Ma. April Ochenta said her Mitsubishi Pajero was stolen in November 2018.

WATCH: PNP-IMEG, tasked to run after rogue cops, arrests Maj. Raul Salle inside his office at PNP-HPG for alleged extortion to an OFW victimized by carnapping. 🎥: PNP-IMEG @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/SNlBfKwM7c

— Cathrine Gonzales (@cgonzalesINQ) June 27, 2019

Ochenta, an OFW in Canada, then reported the theft to the PNP-HPG. Salle, who was on duty at that time, then asked her to pay P140,000 to have the investigation started and recover her sports utility vehicle.

Police said Ochenta told Salle that she does not have the amount at that time, so Salle suggested that she borrow P70,000 from a certain Alex, a civilian employee of the HPG.

According to police, Ochenta then sent Salle cash as payment for the money borrowed from Alex. However, Alex said he never received the money.

Ochenta said she learned in February that Alex did not receive the payments, prompting her to confront Salle, who told her that he did not have cash at that moment.

She said Salle then suggested that she handover her Mitsubishi Adventure and he will pawn the van so that Alex will be paid.

According to Ochenta, Salle did not pawn the van as promised but instead used it as his personal vehicle. She even had photos of the vehicle parked at the HPG headquarters and being driven on Edsa.

Ochenta said she again confronted Salle, who insisted that he did pawn the vehicle for P300,000.

In April, the victim went to the PNP-HPG office several times to claim her Mitsubishi Adventure. But instead of returning the van, Salle again demanded another P300,000 from the victim. The amount was later raised to P440,000 due to “interest.”

This time, Ochenta said she decided to report the incident to the PNP-IMEG, which conducted an entrapment operation inside the HPG office at around 5:26 p.m. Wednesday.

Salle was arrested after allegedly receiving P412,120 from the victim.

The suspect is currently detained at the PNP-IMEG office in Camp Crame.

Supt. Renante Lambojo, officer-in-charge, of the PNP-IMEG, said the suspect will face charges for robbery-extortion, swindling, grave coercion, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Officials and Employees.  (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)