'Fake gold bar dealers' fall in entrapment

CEBU, Philippines - Three suspected swindlers from Mindanao were arrested by the police during an entrapment operation last Saturday for trying to sell fake gold bars.

Cirilo Ramos, 46; Aurelio Villegas, 54; and Reynaldo Sarita, 64, all from Davao City were arrested by the operatives of the Cebu City Police Office’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch headed by Chief Inspector Bonifacio Garciano after one of their would be victims reported his impending transaction with them.

 The suspects came to Cebu City all the way from Davao for a P3 million transaction with Marcel Martinez, 33, and Azucena Domingo, 57, all of Taguig City and the complainant who requested anonymity.

One of the complainants was allegedly cautioned by his police-friend about the transaction. They then coordinated with the CCPO and the entrapment operation was hatched.

 Garciano said a certain Susan convinced the complainants to invest in gold bars. A transaction was sealed in Manila and the suspects agreed to deliver the gold bars in Cebu City.

The suspects arrived in Cebu ahead of the complainants and stayed at a downtown hotel while waiting for their buyers to arrive from Manila.

The buyers, however, were already accompanied by the police when they met last Saturday resulting to the arrest of the suspects. The police used P100,000 marked money for the entrapment operation.

Garciano said the suspects are operating nationwide and could have already victimized dozens of people.The three will be charged for swindling. (FREEMAN)