Superintndent Alfred Sotto Corpus, Taguig police chief, said suspects Samuel Ocampo, Rolando Calara and Eugene Estrope were arrested as P150,000 was about to be handed to them by the victim’s relative at a gas station in Global City at around 3:30 a.m.
Corpus said the trio and their victim, businessman Manoj Sharma arrived on board a taxi (TXE-435).
Police pounced on the suspects as they received the marked money from the victim’s cousin Bhupinder Singh.
Sharma, 28, of Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig, was on board his Honda motorcyle when he was waylaid by Ocampo and Calara in Signal Village, Taguig last Tuesday afternoon.
The suspects, who initially introduced themselves as agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, ordered Sharma to call his relatives. The suspects demanded P150,000 for the Indian’s release.
Although Singh prepared the money, he decided to seek help from authorities.
Corpus and Taguig Anti-Crime and Illegal Drugs Task Force chief Senior Inspector Eufronio Obong led a team to entrap the suspects.
Shortly after midnight, the suspects called up Singh to inform him that they decided to transfer the meeting place from Magallanes in Makati to The Fort.
Police seized the suspects’ car, a Nissan Sentra (TGE-600) which they abandoned along Kalayaan Road in Makati.
Sharma’s motorcyle has yet to be recovered. Sharma said the suspects also took his cell phone and P10,000 cash.
Kidnapping charges are now being readied against the three suspects.
Estrope, the driver of the taxi, denied he was involved in the kidnapping.
He claimed Ocampo flagged down his taxi along C5 Road.
Southern Police District director Superintendent Ricardo Padilla said the suspects could be part of a big-time kidnap-for-ransom group targeting foreign nationals.
Taguig City Mayor Freddie Tiñga commended the policemen for a job well done. – Rhodina Villanueva