ABDUCTED CHINESE BUSINESSMAN RESCUED, 12 KIDNAPPERS ARRESTED

OPERATIVES of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) on Sunday rescued an abducted Chinese trader in Santo Tomas, Batangas and captured 12 of his kidnappers.

PNP-AKG director Brig. Gen. Glicerio Cansilao said  officers from their Luzon Field Unit successfully rescued the 30-year-old Chinese victim at the kidnappers’ hideout in Santo Tomas City, Batangas around 2:45 p.m. Sunday.

Cansilao said the victim is a supplier of construction materials from Taguig City.

The official said two of the Chinese suspects were arrested in a raid in Santo Tomas where the victim was rescued.

Prior to the rescue operation, the victim’s cousin went to the headquarters of the PNP-AKG in Camp Crame on July 3 to report the alleged kidnapping.

The cousin said the victim was snatched in front of Coastal Luxury Residences in Parañaque City around 6:40 p.m. of July 1.

Officers immediately conducted a series of surveillance and follow-up operations.

The official said that 12 days before they launched the successful rescue operation, they discovered that the kidnap victim was taken to a safehouse in Batangas, where he was placed under strict guard round-the-clock by the kidnappers.

Follow-up operations launched by the PNP-AKG led to the arrest of the rest of the suspects in Pasay City, Makati City and Imus City in Cavite.

Recovered from the suspects were two unlicensed firearms, over P1-million in cash, suspected shabu, and a vehicle where several brand-new PNP and security guard uniforms were found.

“This points to a highly-organized crime group involved in the premeditated kidnapping of a Chinese national. May the arrest of the 12 suspected kidnappers serve as a strong warning to all kidnap-for-ransom gangs that we will relentlessly go after them,” PNP chief Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III said