NABBED. An NBI agent takes a look at the polo shirt used by suspect Mark Cabal (right) who was arrested in an entrapment at the NBI headquarters in Manila on Feb. 3, 2021. Cabal was arrested for posing as an employee of the bureau and extorting money from a clearance applicant. (Photo courtesy of NBI)
MANILA – Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a man posing as an employee of the agency and extorted money from a clearance applicant.
In a statement Wednesday, NBI officer-in-charge (OIC)-director Eric Distor said the suspect Mark Cabal was arrested by operatives of the Special Action Unit (SAU) in an entrapment inside the agency's headquarters in Manila last February 3.
Cabal was the subject of a complaint of a victim who claimed that he saw the suspect who was clad in an NBI polo shirt outside the agency's premises on February 1, which made him think that he was an NBI employee.
Cabal then offered to help the complainant regarding the processing of NBI clearance and after a while, he told the victim that upon checking his records, the victim has a pending drug case with a warrant of arrest.
The suspect then threatened the victim that he will be arrested if he will not give PHP100,000. The victim then returned the following day to hand over PHP40,000 to the suspect.
Cabal continued to threaten the victim that he might not only suffer imprisonment but might be killed for his involvement in drugs. The victim then asked the suspect to give him a week to produce the remaining PHP60,000.
Upon the advice of friends, the victim appeared before the SAU office to file a complaint against Cabal.
During the operation, Cabal yielded three heat-sealed plastic sachets of shabu.
The SAU also found that Cabal is facing several charges for estafa and robbery/extortion. He was presented for inquests proceeding before the City Prosecutor's Office of Manila. (PNA)
