NBI nabs 6 Chinese for kidnap, bribery

MANILA, Philippines — Three Chinese were apprehended for allegedly kidnapping three of their compatriots in Parañaque City, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced yesterday.

Junrong Jia, Xuejian Li and Quijian Tian were arrested in a hotel room where they allegedly held the victims for failing to pay their casino debt on June 1.

The next day, three cohorts of the suspects – Peter Lim, Wang Liping and Au Pang Liang – were collared after they allegedly offered a P1 million bribe to NBI agents in exchange for the release of the suspects.

Peter, Wang and Au Pang were arrested in an entrapment operation after they allegedly handed P570,000 to the operatives as initial payment.

Aside from charges of kidnapping and illegal detention, NBI deputy director for investigation services Ferdinand Lavin said a complaint for bribery and corruption of public officials would be filed against the suspects.

The NBI said they recovered skimming devices, mobile phones, holographic security stickers and various identification cards used by the group in their racket.

NBI deputy director for operations Vicente de Guzman III said the suspects lent the victims money to be able to play in casinos.

De Guzman said when the victims failed to pay, they were kidnapped by the suspects and ordered to call their families in China for payment.

He said the victims owed the suspects P1.5 million, but they were asked to pay P7 million.

“These schemes are happening in casinos. The authorities are blinded until cases like these arise,” De Guzman said.