A 23-year-old Vietnamese tourist was rescued by police after being kidnapped in Parañaque City.
Three Chinese nationals, identified as Jun (31), Hao (27), and Zhang (26), were arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
During the operation, the police seized three handguns and ammunition, P236,000 cash, electronic devices, seven mobile phones, foreign passports, a set of car license plates (CBP7996), a black Ford Ranger Sport, 76 ecstasy tablets worth P129,200.00, and five grams of shabu valued at P34,000.
Investigation showed that the victim was engaged in a money exchange service business in Manila, catering to Chinese nationals and other foreigners.
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, she was contacted by suspect Zhang to exchange Vietnamese Dong for Philippine peso at a condominium in Barangay Tambo. However, upon arrival, the suspects abducted her at knifepoint and with firearms, taking her mobile phones, including the one with her online bank account.
The abductors used her phone password and facial ID to access her online bank account, transferring her money to another unknown account, amounting to 8,940,000,000 (Vietnamese Dong), equivalent to 20 million in Philippine peso. They also took P300,000 in cash and several pieces of jewelry worth P1 million from her condominium in Pasay City.
After taking the money and jewelry, the victim was transferred to a residential resort in Barangay Tambo, where she was detained and physically abused by the suspects. She managed to seek assistance from the resort’s security personnel when the suspects left and the one guarding her fell asleep, leading to the suspects’ arrest by the Tambo substation police.
The three Chinese nationals are now detained and will be charged with robbery, grave coercion, illegal detention, and violations of Republic Act 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition) and RA 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act). These complaints will be filed with the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office, with an additional robbery complaint to be filed at the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office through inquest proceedings.
