Tourist kidnapped, released by fellow Koreans in Cebu City

A Korean tourist visiting Cebu City was kidnapped by four fellow Koreans, who released him after two days, said police.

The victim’s friends paid $7,000 in ransom.

Police yesterday filed a complaint for kidnapping for ransom in the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against the captors of 28-year-old Kwon Young Hoon in connection with his Aug. 20 to 23 ordeal.

The suspects were identified as Kim Jong Seok, Choi Se Yong, and two others who are at large.

Police said 10 people were involved in the kidnapping.

The tourist has since returned to Korea, said Chief Inspector Fermin Armendrez of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7), whose office filed the complaint yesterday.

Kwon, a resident of # 147 Daijang-ri, Soi-myun, Ennsung-gun, Chungbuk, in Korea, was kidnapped about 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 20 at Mango Square on Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City where he went to meet an acquaintance for beer.

The tourist had just arrived in Cebu City at noon that day.

According to the police investigation report, Kwon said he was invited by his Korean acquaintance to go to a Korean bar in Lapu-Lapu City but instead of continuing the night’s revelry, he was taken in a van to a safe house in barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City.

Kwon was released two days later in the Mactan airport at 5:30 p.m. after friends in Korea raised $7,000 for his ransom.

The money was withdrawn in 14 installments through a branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands in Cebu.

The kidnappers had first demanded $40,000 but the victim’s friends could only send $7,000.

After Kwon was freed at the airport, he notified his friends in Korea, who in turn alerted friends in Cebu to report to the police.

The account of Kwon’s ordeal reached the CIDG, Presidential Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER), Regional Intelligence Office (RIO), Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), and Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) immediately conducted an investigation.

Armendarez said police sent agents to Bohol and other parts of in Central Visayas to arrest the suspects but were unable to find them.

Based on the special report of Armendarez submitted to the office CIDG-7 Regional Director, Senior Supt. Jose Pante, the victim met one of the suspects in Korea.

“One time, while he was on line to book a ticket for Cebu including his hotel accommodation, he met one of them, who informed that he was also going to visit Cebu on that same date and even offered to travel together. They became friends and exchanged phone numbers”, the report said.

This happened a week before they decided to meet here in Cebu.

When Kwon arrived in Cebu on Aug. 21, he checked in at Cebu “R” Hotel at Capitol Site, Cebu City.

“Just an hour after he checked in the hotel, the Korean he met on the Internet called and inquired about his whereabouts. He was told to wait at the hotel and was invited for beer at Mango Square, Gen. Maxilom, Cebu City”, the report added.

After the two drank, the acquaintance invited Kwon to go to a Korean Bar.

They boarded a gray Starex van driven by a Korean. A few meters away, the car stopped and picked up two other Korean men. In the car, the Koreans suddenly assaulted Kwon by pushing his head down, then kicking and punching him in the body.

He was blindfolded and taken to a house, where they stayed for almost two days.

After his release, Kwon was able to accompany the police to the safe house in Lapu-Lapu City. The building turned out to be a rented house owned by Donalen Enterprises Inc. managed by Elino Anthony Amores, said Armendarez of the CIDG.

Police operatives searched the house with Amores’ consent and recovered several items as evidence such as three electric fans, towels, two metal chains, tissue paper and an electrical cord.