Spanish man loses money to gang

MANILA, Philippines - A Spanish economist told police yesterday he lost more than 1,319 euros (over P67,500) after four alleged members of a gang who slipped a tranquilizer into his drink in Ermita, Manila.

Jose Pedro Bosch, 44, said a man befriended him and invited him to have some drinks at a karaoke bar on Friday afternoon. At the bar, he met another man and two women, all companions of the first man.

He said he woke up in his hotel room on Saturday morning and was shocked to find that he lost 600 euros in cash and money from his two debit cards.

The police failed to make arrests during a follow-up operation.