BUSTED. The 62-year-old suspect who posed as a mediaman during the operation by authorities in Calasiao town, Pangasinan on Jan. 11, 2023. The suspect asked for protection money from an establishment in exchange for alleged protection from police. (Photo courtesy of Pangasinan PPO)
CALASIAO, Pangasinan – A 62-year-old individual posing as a media person has been arrested for robbery and extortion in an operation here.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office director Col. Jeff Fanged identified the suspect as Segundino Apostol Jr., a resident of Poblacion East in San Nicolas town.
"Joint elements of Calasiao police station and the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company arrested the suspect who pretended to be a very influential member of a newspaper and threatened the victim, Raymund Angustia, that the Funfair (perya) establishment will be forcibly closed if he would not give protection money," he said.
The suspect was caught in the act receiving the marked money amounting to PHP2,000 from the victim in exchange for alleged protection of their business, he added.
Fanged said intelligence operatives of Calasiao police station posed as the assistant of the victim in an operation on Wednesday night.
"This should be a warning to fraud persons that they will not be tolerated," he added. (PNA)
