Chinese in kidnapping case arrested
A Chinese national who is accused of kidnapping a fellow Chinese for gambling debt has been arrested by members of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) and Pasay City Police Station in a follow-up operation in Pasay City last week.
Lt. Col. Elmer Cereno, PNP-AKG spokesman, identified the arrested suspect as Libu Xu.
The victim/complainant, meanwhile, was identified as Xiaoguo Bian, 25, a native of Shandong, China.
Cereno said five other suspects who took part in the kidnapping are now subject of a follow-up operation. All suspects are said to be involved in a loan shark-kidnapping group.
It was learned that prior to the incident, Bian borrowed P1.5 million from a casino financier identified as alias “Ah Hua” and lost at a baccarat game at Midas Hotel & Casino in Pasay City.
Since the victim had no money to pay his debt, plus the P500,000 interest, he was then held captive in one of the hotel rooms from 29 July to 1 August.
On 1 August, alias “Al Hua” allegedly instructed two Chinese nationals guarding Bian to transfer him to another location. While inside the kidnappers’ safe house, they called the victim’s family and demanded Rmb300,000 for his release.
Cereno said investigation revealed that on 15 August, the victim’s father went to the PNP-AKG office and showed a video of his son detained at the Pasay City Police Station. Upon verification, it was confirmed that Bian was indeed brought there.
On 11 August, the victim was taken by four male Chinese persons to the Pasay City Police Station to formally file a case against him. However, the duty investigator at the time was busy, he temporarily put the kidnap victim inside the cell without their knowledge.
The Chinese nationals then took a video of the victim while inside the cell. Minutes later, the investigator released the victim after finding that there was no sufficient ground to detain him.
While at the Pasay City Police Station, Cereno said AKG operatives received an information that a certain alias “Johny,” an employee of Midas Casino would be bringing the kidnap victim to the station. At about 11:30 p.m. on 15 August, Bian was turned over to the police by Huan Jin Pai, vice chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Xu was arrested by a combined team from AKG and Pasay City Police Station during a follow-up operation at Lancaster Condominium in Pasay City.
He said a check of the CCTV footage of Midas Hotel helped the victim positively identify Xu as one of the five Chinese nationals who brought him to PCPS on the night of 11 August. Cereno said a case of kidnap for ransom with serious illegal detention was presented during the inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice last Friday.
The other suspects, including alias “Ah Hua,” meanwhile, were recommended for preliminary investigation.