Pregnant Chinese woman nabbed as alleged leader of kidnap-for-ransom group

Authorities arrested a pregnant Chinese woman who was identified zx the alleged leader of a kidnap-for-ransom group operating in the Philippines.

In John Consulta’s report on 24 Oras on Wednesday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) located the suspect at a condominium in Pasay City.

“Nangingidnap sila ng kapwa nila Chinese dito sa Pilipinas. Siya ang kumokontak sa mga would-be victims nila, imi-meet niya somewhere. Pag nagkita na sila, andun na yung mga kasabwat na lalaki, doon na nila dudukutin,” said Rendel Sy, BI Furgitive Search Unit chief.

(They are kidnapping their fellow Chinese here in the Philippines. She is the one who contacts their prospective victims and arranges their meetings. Her male accomplice would then kidnap their victim during the meeting.

The suspects would demand ransom from the victim’s family with payments made via cryptocurrency, Sy added.

Despite being pregnant, the woman posed a challenge for authorities to track and arrest since she used different names and addresses.

“Yung asawa niya, una nang nahuli ng Anti Kidnapping Group at nakadetain na rin sa detention ng BI. Ongoing ang deportation proceedings kasi may iba pa siyang kaso dito,” Sy said.

(Her husband was earlier arrested by the Anti Kidnapping Group and he is now detained at the BI Detention Facility. His deportation proceedings are ongoing for his cases.)

GMA Integrated News is attempting to obtain a statement from the Chinese woman, who is now in the custody of the BI. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News