MANILA -- A man preying on seamen by demanding money in exchange for the release of certificates of proficiency (COP) has been arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division.
In a statement Monday, NBI Director Dante Gierran said Malone Deleon Morales was arrested Friday following an extortion complaint filed by a victim who claimed that the suspect demanded PHP20,000 in exchange for a Certificate of Proficiency in navigation.
The complainant was told he had "pending" certificate because he lacks service experience.
The victim was then asked to surrender his Regulation II/4 certificate. The matter was then referred to the Legal Division of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
Last Dec. 5, the complainant received a call from a certain "Christian" who later turned out to be Malone who told him that it is easy to have the certificate issued in exchange for the amount.
The complainant then went to the Marina legal division, which in turn advised him to report the matter to the NBI.
Meanwhile, Morales asked the victim to pay the P20,000 up to Dec. 7 and threatened to file a complaint against him if the amount was not delivered, prompting the victim to seek help from the NBI which set up an entrapment operation. (PNA)
