9 nabbed for casino debt kidnapping

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested eight Chinese and a Filipino for allegedly kidnapping a Chinese man at a hotel over his casino debt, an official said yesterday.

Ben Tan, Haitao Wang, De Chun Qin, Xong Fei Chan, Xiao Qiang Yang, Dong Zheng Wen, Beijun Lin, Jung Wang, and Jomar Lozada reportedly snatched the victim from Okada Manila last week and held him for at least two days until he was rescued, NBI deputy director for intelligence service Eric Distor said.

The suspects took the victim to a house in Manuela 4-A Subdivision in Las Piñas, with Lozada guarding him, Distor said.

The suspects ordered the victim to call his relatives in China and ask them to produce P2 million ransom, he added. A cousin managed to send P500,000, but the suspects demanded the full amount.

 The victim managed to tell his wife his location, which allowed her to seek the NBI’s help.

 NBI agents recovered a .38 caliber revolver and a .45 caliber pistol from Lozada and Wang.

Last June 8, six Chinese were arrested on similar charges while a group of Chinese loan sharks operating in casinos was arrested for kidnapping in Manila on June 26.

A Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. executive told The STAR that some syndicates invite potential high rollers from China to play in the Philippines.

“It is when the gamer starts losing money that the syndicate entices them to continue playing by lending them money,” the source said.