The Philippine National Police (PNP) held a press conference on August 4 to report a serious kidnapping case, where four Chinese nationals were arrested on the spot for allegedly setting up a kidnapping and extortion scheme in Paranaque City, Manila. The case alarmed the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) and the SWAT team, and the suspects have now been formally charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
The incident occurred on August 1. The victim needed to remit 150,000 pesos to treat his mother back home and contacted the suspects through a friend's introduction. The suspects pretended to help exchange the money, first taking 100,000 pesos and then luring the victim into a car under the pretext of needing to go to a casino to handle the transaction. Along the way, the suspects suddenly turned hostile, brandished a gun, handcuffed the victim, and forced him to transfer about 50,000 USDT (approximately 2.9 million pesos) as "ransom."
Despite being restricted in his movements, the victim managed to use his mobile phone to call for help from a friend. The police received the alert and quickly took action, pinpointing the suspects hiding in a high-end hotel in Paranaque. The SWAT team immediately launched a raid, took control of the four suspects on the spot, and successfully rescued two Chinese victims, one of whom was the woman illegally detained.
At the scene, the police seized handcuffs, firearms, and part of the stolen money. Shockingly, all four suspects were former employees of POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators). With the Philippines tightening its gaming policies, a large number of POGOs were shut down and laid off, leaving some Chinese employees stranded and unemployed, suspected of turning to crime due to financial difficulties.
PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III pointed out at the press conference: "This is a typical case of illegal foreign nationals slipping into organized crime. We are working closely with the Bureau of Immigration and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) to handle the suspects legally and promote their deportation."
The exposure of the case has sparked widespread concern. The public questions whether this case is just one of many similar crimes? With the POGO withdrawal, active underground money exchanges, and the proliferation of cryptocurrencies, has there emerged a kidnapping gang specializing in extorting Chinese people under the guise of casinos and digital currencies?
The case has shocked the Chinese community in the Philippines. Various sectors are calling on Chinese expatriates to be vigilant against so-called "low-threshold money exchanges" and "casino-assisted transfers" to avoid falling into traps. At the same time, this case also rings an alarm bell: the "unemployment wave" triggered by the decline of POGO may have evolved into a substantial security risk, urgently requiring joint efforts from the governments of China and the Philippines.
