Cop, PSG agent, civilian held for kidnaps of Indian traders

A police official, an agent of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and their civilian companion, believed behind the rash of kidnappings for ransom of Indian traders in Rizal, were arrested in Binangonan town over the weekend.

Police identified the three as Inspector Rex Infante, 29, detailed at the Bureau of Immigration; Vincent Goloran, 29, who claimed to be a PSG civilian agent; and Dennis Balbin, 39.

Seized from them were a Mitsubishi Lancer (with license plate WAN 833), a 9mm Beretta pistol, a belt bag, a cellular phone, and a wallet containing P2,400 and six identification cards.

Goloran and Balbin, along with two other men, were on board the car parked along the Manila East Road in Barangay Batingan, Binangonan town when Indian trader Amandeep Singh, 35, spotted them at about 10 a.m. Saturday.

Singh recognized their companions inside the car as his compatriots Harvinder Singh, 35, and Jaskaran Singh, 23, both involved in the lending business, who were reported to have been kidnapped by four armed men hours earlier.

Amandeep rushed to the local police station and reported what he saw. A police team, headed by Chief Inspector Eutiquiano Manuel, rushed to the scene on board a patrol car.

However, upon seeing the approaching policemen, the suspects stepped on the gas and tried to flee, prompting Manuel to radio for a back-up vehicle to block them on the other end of the road. Thus, Goloran and Balbin were arrested, and Harvinder and Jaskaran were rescued.

Police said Infante showed up at the police station to "amicably" settle the case of Goloran and Balbin. And it turned out to be his serious mistake.

Because minutes later, two other kidnap victims, businessmen Jaswinder Singh, 25, and Sandeep Singh, 22, showed up at the police station and positively identified the trio as among those who abducted them last April 6.

Jaswinder and Sandeep said the suspects released them after their relatives had paid P40,000 as ransom.

Police said the suspects, claiming to be immigration agents, would arrest Indian traders on "trumped up" charges, bring them to a safehouse and then negotiate ransom with their relatives.

Police are hunting a fourth suspect, a certain Pabic.