NBI nabs “member” of swindling group

The National Bureau of Investigation arrested a suspected member of a swindling syndicate that had victimized a telecommunication firm of at least 30 units of high-end cellular phones.

After more than a week of surveillance following a complaint lodged by Globe Telecom, NBI operatives arrested Maria Lourdes del Solo, 53, of Bacayan, barangay Talamban Friday afternoon inside a mall along the South Expressway.

Del Solo assumed the identity of Evelyn Perez when she applied for a regular mobile phone line with Globe. She submitted assorted spurious documents, including an identification card, income tax return and a pay slip from a non-existing company.

Globe granted Del Solo the Plan P2,500 regular mobile phone line with free N70 Nokia phone plus an extension line with another free unit of Nokia 5070.

But lawyer Mac Gordon of Globe said they were able to verify that the documents submitted by Del Solo were spurious, prompting them to seek assistance from the NBI.

An entrapment operation was then conducted, which resulted to the arrest of the suspect. Del Solo admitted that she was using fictitious documents in her application and that she even assumed the identity of another person.

However, she claimed she was innocent of the crime, saying that she was just following the instruction of her sister, Carmen Clarin. Del Solo said it was her sister who made all the spurious documents.

According to her, she was just asked to submit a picture and the next thing she knew was that there was already an I.D. issued to her by the name of Evelyn Perez.

Del Solo said her sister told her to claim the cell phone from Globe.

But Gordon said Clarin is also on their watch-list and belongs to a syndicate that defrauded their company of more than 30 cellular phone units.

NBI supervising agent Rennan Oliva said Del Solo would be charged with estafa through falsification of documents. Other charges will also be slapped against her for assuming other person’s identity.

Del Solo is currently detained at the NBI office. — Fred P. Languido/LPM