7 members of con gang held in Valenzuela

MANILA, Philippines - The alleged leader and six members of a gang of con artists were arrested in Valenzuela City Tuesday afternoon.

City police chief Senior Superintendent Audie Villacin identified the alleged leader as Lucila Cruz, 53, alias Sheila Santos.

Cruz’s alleged gang members include Paula Garcia, 31; Janet Calayag, 25; John Ryan Santos, 32; Gerald Cruz, 32; Ronaldo Apilado, 39; and Ferdie de Guzman, 31.

Villacin said the arrest came after the group tried to victimize the household of 65-year-old Evita Opinionado, a retired teacher and a resident of Deparo, Caloocan City.

Cruz initially called the house of Opinionado and was able to convince Kim Karla Arzadon, 18, a granddaughter of the victim, that her grandmother was involved in a vehicular incident. 

Cruz said Opinionado needed money to settle the matter and ordered Arzadon to bring all the money and jewelry she could find in the house to an establishment in Barangay Maysan. 

Arzadon was able to get P98,000 and assorted jewelry from her grandmother’s room but, rather than go to the establishment Cruz mentioned, she went to the house of a relative, Emily Bardon, and related the incident.

Sensing something was amiss, Bardon called Opini-onado and upon confirming that the story was a hoax, called the Valenzuela police community precinct in Barangay Lawang Bato, which set up an entrapment.

Apilado was arrested while he was receiving the money. Her three companions – De Guzman, Santos, and Cruz – fled on two motorcycles.

Police officers said they raided an apartment on Decena street in Barangay Arkong Bato when they saw the suspects enter it.

 ‘Call center’

Villacin said the aprtment was being used as a hideout and the nerve center of the group’s operation. 

Recovered from the apartment were telephone directories and notebooks with numbers and schedules of prospective victims, 13 mobile phones, and other gadgets connected to the Internet.

“The place was like a call center. They had a long list of demographics of prospective victims, including details of persons inside the house and schedules,” Villacin said.

He added that the group operates north of Manila but would sometimes cross the boundaries of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela. 

Villacin said at least three other complainants who learned about the group’s arrest came to his office and signified their intention to file charges.