Three Chinese nationals were arrested in Makati City for the alleged kidnap-for-ransom and rape of a Vietnamese national.
MANILA, Philippines — Three Chinese nationals were arrested in Makati City for allegedly being behind the kidnap-for-ransom and rape of a Vietnamese national.
The Chinese suspects were identified as alias Lei, aged 32; alias Xing, 33; and alias Zhou, 38.
The Makati City Police conducted a rescue operation for the Vietnamese woman at midnight on Friday and arrested the three Chinese nationals in a condominium unit in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City.
According to the Makati City police, the rescue operation took place after they received a complaint of the kidnapping-for-ransom of a 33-year-old female Vietnamese national.
The initial investigation showed that the victim’s husband, who is currently based abroad, received a message from the suspects, demanding 500 million Vietnamese Dong or P1 million in exchange for the victim’s freedom.
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The Chinese suspects allegedly threatened the husband that they would cut off the woman’s finger if he failed to comply with their demand.
This prompted the husband to forward the suspects’ messages to a Vietnamese friend in the Philippines. The friend then reported the incident to the Investigation and Detective Management Section of Makati City Police Station.
Further police investigation disclosed that on June 2, the Chinese suspects lured the victim to meet them in Makati.
“When she was at her friend’s condominium in Bel-Air, she was forcibly taken to a condominium in San Lorenzo, Makati where she was raped and brought to Tagaytay, where again, she was drugged, raped, and filmed by two additional men,” the Makati police said.
“The suspects then brought her back to Makati and began extorting her husband for ransom. The operation uncovered a disturbing criminal modus involving human trafficking, sexual abuse, and extortion,” the police added.
Arrest of suspects
During the rescue operation on Friday, a Filipina, who is the alleged girlfriend of one of the Chinese suspects, went out of the condominium unit to speak with the responding police officers to deflect suspicion.
The alleged girlfriend then confirmed to the police that another woman was inside the unit, while claiming she had not seen her face.
“Moments later, the door was locked behind her, effectively leaving her outside,” the Makati police said.
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When the police knocked again, they heard the suspects cocking a firearm, which prompted them to call for reinforcement.
Responding Special Weapons and Tactics and Tactical Motorcycle Riding units came in to secure the area, leading to the rescue of the Vietnamese woman and the arrest of the suspects.
Several pieces of evidence were also recovered, including various firearms and ammunition, such as a 9mm Taurus pistol with a suppressor, one 9mm magazine, five 9mm bullets, a .22 Jennings Firearms pistol with a suppressor, a .22 caliber magazine, and five .22 bullets.
The police also seized illegal drugs that included six sachets of suspected shabu, one large sachet of shabu estimated to weigh 20 grams with a street value of P136,800, and one small bottle of suspected liquid ecstasy.
Other items potentially related to the crime were likewise found in the scene, including one pair of handcuffs, counterfeit money (boodle money), one silver gray Hyundai Starex, six car keys, two cellphones, drug paraphernalia such as glass tubes and disposable lighters, and one beige box.
The three Chinese nationals are now under the custody of the police and temporarily detained at the custodial facility of the Makati City Police Station.
The police said that one of the suspects, alias Lei, had prior records with the police. He allegedly had been involved in multiple criminal cases before, including kidnapping, illegal detention, illegal possession of firearms, and carnapping.
Charges are already being prepared by the Investigation and Detective Management Section against the three Chinese nationals, the Makati police said.