NBI nabs woman for allegedly duping Japanese to buy ‘gold bars’

The National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Organized Transnational Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD) arrested a woman following a complaint from a Japanese national who was allegedly conned to buy gold bars worth P22 million.

Suspect Marlene Buenaventura was arrested in an entrapment operation on Dec. 2 at Euro Hotel in Makati City

NBI-AOCTD Executive Officer Martini Cruz said the entrapment operation was conducted based on the complaint of a Japanese national, who requested anonymity, saying he was allegedly enticed by Buenaventura to buy 52 gold bars weighing one kilogram each.

The woman claimed she has access to a big bulk of gold bars in Singapore.

Cruz said that after Buenaventura allegedly showed documents purportedly proving the existence and the authority to transport the gold bars, the suspect invited the complainant to meet her in Singapore where she showed him several pieces of gold and assured him that she would be able to facilitate the transport of the gold bars from Singapore to Manila.

Cruz said that Buenaventura convinced the complainant to give advance payments on several occasions that reached 50 million yen (about PHP22 million).

He was promised that the gold bars would be released from the Bureau of Customs (BoC) after his last payment of P3.3-million last Oct. 29.

After the suspect reneged on her promise, the Japanese national filed a complaint with the NBI and set the entrapment last Dec. 2.

The suspect is now detained at the NBI headquarters and facing a complaint for estafa.