Philippine police recently reported that five foreigners were arrested in Makati City for alleged kidnapping, robbery, car theft, and illegal possession of firearms. Four of them are Chinese citizens, and one is a Malaysian citizen.
The incident occurred on December 30th, when a Chinese businessman, accompanied by his Filipino girlfriend, reported to the police that they were kidnapped and robbed by five men. The victim revealed that he had sympathetically sheltered two of the suspects, but they exploited his trust to commit the crime.
According to the victim, on the day of the incident, the suspects blindfolded them, handcuffed them, and threatened them with guns. The victim's Filipino girlfriend recalled, "They pointed a gun at me, I was very scared, and even thought I might lose my life. They blindfolded me, gagged me, and threatened in English, 'Don't scream.'"
After the robbery, the suspects stole a luxury bulletproof car worth 5.5 million pesos and changed its license plate. They also took cash and other valuable items from the victim.
The police investigation revealed that all five suspects were former offshore gaming (POGO) employees who became unemployed due to President Marcos' ban on online gambling. Two of the suspects were sheltered by the victim out of goodwill after losing their jobs, gaining knowledge of the victim's family environment and financial situation, and ultimately planning this crime.
The police initially arrested one of the suspects in a parking lot on Amorsolo Street in Makati City and captured the other four after several days of pursuit.
The five suspects will now face multiple charges including kidnapping, robbery, car theft, and illegal possession of firearms. The police are conducting further investigations to determine if there are other victims or similar cases involving this criminal gang.
The case has attracted widespread attention, and the police urge the public to be vigilant, take precautions against strangers, and promptly report suspicious behavior to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
