A 69-year-old man was arrested for allegedly extorting money from Chinese businessmen in Binondo, Manila, in an entrapment operation by the Manila Police District on Thursday night. The suspect is said to have an accomplice, a police officer assigned to the CIDG Eastern Metro Manila, District Field Unit.
The investigation revealed that the suspect's modus operandi was to accuse several Chinese businessmen of violating the Intellectual Property Law. According to the police, the suspect is said to have patented the design of products such as a kettle sold in Manila, and when caught, he would ask for money in exchange for dropping the case.
Upon receiving a complaint, the police filed an entrapment operation at a fast food restaurant in Manila. The suspect is now detained at the Meisic Police Station while the search continues for the alleged accomplice police officer. According to the report, the suspect collected millions of pesos from 11 Chinese victims.
According to their translator "Jef", the suspect's modus operandi is without a search warrant, and claims to be the patent holder of the kettle design. He is demanding a cash settlement of 400,000 to 1,000,000 pesos before releasing the victims, but even after payment, the legal process is still ongoing, causing additional hardship to the people.
Other victims plan to file additional cases against the suspect in the coming days to pursue their rights and hold accountable the person involved in extortion and deception.
