Three Chinese men who allegedly abducted, drugged and raped a 33-year-old Vietnamese woman before demanding a P1-million ransom from her husband were arrested during a rescue operation at a condominium unit in Makati City on Friday, June 6.
In a press conference, Makati Police chief Col. Jean Dela Torre and Southern Police District (SPD) director Brig. Gen. Joseph Arguelles presented the seized pistols and other pieces of evidence recovered from the suspects, identified as “Lei,” 32; “Xing,” 33; and “Zhou,” 38.
Prior to the rescue operation, the police received a report from a Vietnamese national, saying that his friend — who turned out to be the victim’s husband based overseas — received a message from the kidnappers demanding from him 500 million Vietnamese Dong (equivalent to P1 million) in exchange for his wife’s release.
The suspects also threatened to cut the victim’s fingers off if her husband fails to comply with their demands.
After pinpointing the exact location of the suspects in Barangay San Lorenzo, the police launched a rescue operation.
“During the rescue, a Filipina, allegedly the girlfriend of one of the suspects, was sent out of the unit, presumably to speak with the responding police officers and deflect suspicion. When questioned, she confirmed that there was another woman inside the unit, although she claimed not to have seen the victim’s face. Moments later, the door was locked behind her, effectively leaving her outside,” the Makati City Police said.
Upon knocking again, the operatives heard one of the suspects cocking a firearm, prompting them to call for reinforcement.
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Tactical Motorcycle Riding Unit (TMRU) officers immediately responded to secure the area, leading to the suspects’ arrest.
Recovered from them were several pieces of evidence, including two suppressed pistols with live ammunition, P136,800 worth of shabu, liquid ecstasy, and other drug paraphernalia.
DRUGGED, SEXUALLY ABUSED
Further investigation revealed that the suspects lured the victim to meet them in Makati on June 2, where she was forcibly taken from her friend’s condominium unit in Barangay Bel-Air.
She was then brought to the suspects’ unit in San Lorenzo, where she was repeatedly raped, drugged, and filmed by the suspects, before extorting money from her husband.
Police also revealed that suspect Lei has been involved in multiple criminal cases, including kidnapping, illegal detention, illegal possession of firearms, and carnapping.
“His record reflects a pattern of criminal behavior as his name surfaced in various police blotters across different jurisdictions, indicating his deep entrenchment in illicit activities and raising serious concerns about his continued presence and operations in the country,” Dela Torre said.
The suspects are now detained at the Makati City Police Station Custodial Facility while criminal charges are being readied against them. (Patrick Garcia)
