Cop-led KFR group busted, entire Western Bicutan precinct relieved
A Taguig policeman was killed while three other cops were arrested during an entrapment operation against members of a kidnap-forransom syndicate yesterday.
Chief Supt. Tomas Apolinario, director of the Southern Police District (SPD) identified the slain cop as PO1 Gerardo Ancheta.
The operation also led to the
arrest of Ancheta cohorts -- PO1 Bryan Amir Bajoof, PO1 Paolo Ocampo, and PO2 Joey Maru, the alleged leader of the Maru Kidnap for Ransom Group – and the relief of the 39-man Police Community Precinct 1 (Western Bicutan) in Taguig City, including the precinct commander Senior Insp. Joel Villafania, according to Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
The erring cops will be under the custody of the NCRPO pending investigation to determine who among them are involved in kidnapping and other illegal activities.
Apolinario said they mapped out an entrapment operation based on the complaint of one Ronielyn Caraecle who reported to the police that four armed men barged into their home along Viscara St., New Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Monday night.
The armed men forcibly took their belongings which included cash amounting to P7,000, two gold watches, and two branded wallets.
After that, Caraecle said she and her boyfriend were abducted by the armed group and driven around Arca South while being asked to produce P50,000 in exchange for their liberty.
A relative of the victims reportedly gave the abductors P 20,000 which led to the release of Caraecle on the condition that she produce the remaining P30,000 to release her boyfriend.
It was at this juncture that she sought assistance from the police and an entrapment operation was planned by the antinarcotics operatives and the SOU.
A shootout ensued between the abductors and the policemen and when the smoke of gunfire cleared, the responding policemen were surprise to discover that the abductors were policemen from the Taguig City Police.
Further investigation showed that this was the group's second hit job.
On Sunday night, the same group barged into the home of one Moreen Del Castillo in New Lower Bicutan and took P50,000 cash. Del Castillo positively identified the group as the perpetrators.
Police recovered from the suspect four pistols with magazines, two extra magazines, cash worth P10,600, a gold watch, three mobile phones, illegal drug paraphernalia, and two sachets of shabu.
Cases of Robbery holdup and Kidnap For Ransom are being prepared against the group.