4 Chinese arrested, 3 Pogo workers freed in NBI operation

Four Chinese nationals were arrested on Thursday for the kidnapping and illegal detention of three Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogo) employees in a hotel in Manila on Monday.

The National Bureau of Investigation-Environmental Crime Division (NBI-EnCD) identified the suspects as Chen Zhimin, Luo Canfeng, Li Jai Huang and Wang Yiping.

From victim Hang Yang Lui, they allegedly demanded P200,000 in exchange for his freedom.

The amount was said to be Hang’s debt from gambling, and his failure to pay the suspects led to his abduction, said Czar Eric Nuqui, chief of the NBI division.

The EnCD conducted a rescue operation in the guise of a ransom payment at a hotel on General Malvar Street, Manila.In the course of Hang’s rescue, NBI agents freed two other Chinese nationals who were detained and allegedly abused by the suspects.

The two other victims were allegedly told they would be killed if they fail to pay P600,000.

The suspects were charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said regarding crimes victimizing Chinese Pogo workers, “What we have in record and statistics are those found by the NBI. We do not know how many more are happening every day.”

“This is the way forward to address all of these crimes [related to the] increasing presence of Chinese individuals. [We’re talking about] crimes related to their activities, all seem to be related [to] Pogo—sex trafficking, kidnapping cases, human trafficking. There are no profile cases yet but the Chinese government fears there is presence of Chinese mafia [in the country],” Lavin said.