MANILA -- Operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have arrested eight Chinese nationals, for their alleged involvement in kidnapping, during an operation in Las Piñas City.
CIDG Director, Maj. Gen. Amador Corpus, said Tuesday the suspects were identified as Gui Yang, Zhou Xia Long, Wang Wen Tao, Xiong Li, Jiang Fan, Hong Pei Feng, Ly Shao Yong, and Jiang Ying Jiang.
The suspects were later found out to be employees of Van Gogh Company and were working as online gamers during a rescue operation at No. 4B Virgo St., Pamplona Park Subdivision in Barangay Pamplona 2 around 3 a.m. on June 29.
The rescue operation was based on information from two freelance protection agents, who personally appeared before the CIDG office on June 28 and reported that two Chinese nationals were allegedly abducted by a group of Chinese nationals, led by a certain alias “Tanda” or “Baho”.
The agents also showed a video of the kidnapped victims being maltreated while handcuffed.
During the operation, Liu Chao, 27 and Li San Sheng, 25, were rescued and they were found handcuffed with each other against a wooden double deck bed in a room inside the subject premise, with visible marks of injuries on their bodies and spills of blood within the area.
The CIDG team seized a wrench, packaging tape, pliers, handcuffs, and mobile phones, all of which were believed used on the victims.
Investigation revealed that the modus of the group operating an online gaming website is to monitor and befriend players who win large amount of money. These players will then be invited to a dinner and will be offered with a job with high salary. When these players show-up in the meeting, they will kidnap, detain, and torture them and demand money in exchange for their safety and liberty.
The victims have undergone medico-legal examination and the confiscated mobile phones were subjected to forensic examination at the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group.
A case for violation of Article 267 (Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention) of the Revised Penal Code was filed through inquest proceedings at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Las Piñas City.
The suspects are currently being detained at the holding cell of the CIDG-Anti Organized Crime Unit. (PNA)
