Police nab ‘Warla’ transwomen gang abducting foreigners

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MANILA, Philippines — The police have arrested eight members of a gang ran by transwomen who were going to use the ransom they collected from kidnapping foreigners, including Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) employees, to fund their sex reassignment surgery.

Dubbed by authorities as the “Warla Criminal Group,” warla meaning going into war in gay lingo or a catfight among queer people, the gang which was also into gunrunning, was led by nine transwomen.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, director of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation Detection and Group (CIDG), said that eight of the group’s 14 members — composed of transwomen and their male partners — were arrested after their 14th victim sought their help.

The 58-year-old Taiwanese businessman was kidnapped on Sept. 3 by the gang and kept in their safe house in a subdivision in Parañaque City.

He was released four days after, but only after the suspects collected P308,000 in ransom through an e-wallet app.

With the help of Charlie Wu, Taiwan police attaché in Manila, the victim went to the CIDG which tracked down the e-wallet account holders, leading to the surrender of three suspects and the arrest of five others, according to Col. Hansel Marantan, CIDG-National Capital Police Region director.

Seized from the gang members were a .38-caliber and two .22-caliber revolvers, including a 5.56 mm improvised rifle.

Lee said a manhunt for the gang leader, identified as Mike Collado Ebol, more known with her transwoman alias of “Mikey,” was ongoing, as well as five other members who remain at large.

He added that the group had been operating since 2018, preying on foreigners in their 40s and older, especially POGO employees, businessmen and even expatriates in southern Metro Manila, specifically in Makati, Parañaque, Pasay, and Taguig.

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