2 illegal recruitment gang members busted

A suspected member of an illegal recruitment syndicate was wounded when operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) tried to prevent him and his cohort from eluding arrest in Cubao, Quezon City late yesterday afternoon.

Head Agent Allan Contado, of the NBI-Intelligence Special Operations Division (ISOD), said one of the suspects was shot when they tried to run over one of the agents with their car in their attempt to escape.

Contado said he dispatched four NBI-ISOD agents at around 4 p.m. yesterday for an entrapment operation and to serve a warrant of arrest against a certain Maribel Maniqued, a suspected large scale illegal recruiter.

"Our agents, along with three complainants, went to the SM Megamall where the entrapment was supposed to take place. The complainants were supposed to hand over marked money," said Contado, referring to the bills that were treatehhhhhhd with invisible powder to prove that the intended recipient got the payoff.

But Maniqued changed the venue and said they would meet at Makro store in Cubao, Quezon City. When the NBI agents and complainants arrived, they were met by two men allegedly sent by Maniqued to receive the money.

The suspects never got out of their Toyota Innova. The two men sped off when the agents tried to apprehend them, sideswiping NBI Intelligence Agent Jun Abrazaldo on the arm and knocked him to the ground.

That prompted the agents to fire at the fleeing vehicle, hitting one of the still unidentified suspects.

The wounded suspect was taken to a hospital while the other one was brought to the NBI headquarters in Manila for questioning.