Singapore High Roller Rescued from Kidnapping Syndicate in the Philippines

A Singaporean high roller who was kidnapped by a criminal syndicate while in the Philippines has been rescued by local police, who raided the condo she was being held in Pasay City. Furthermore, mass arrests have now been made involving 41 Chinese nationals and two Malaysian men, all between 25 and 35 years old, all of whom may face life behind bars if found guilty.
The kidnapping is the eleventh such case to be reported since 2015, and commenting upon the situation, Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes stated: “The group was believed to be responsible for a series of kidnapping incidents perpetrated against foreign nationals who are high roller casino players in recent months.”
The latest incident involving Singaporean woman Wu Yan, 48, took place on Monday at the Solaire Casino Resort in Manila, with two Malaysian suspects befriending the victim who was losing heavily at the casino’s VIP baccarat tables. After inviting her to the City of Dreams Casino where they said it was easier to win, they instead took her to a condominium by taxi where she spent the next four days.
On Monday, a friend of Ms Wu contacted the police explaining that the group was asking US$180,000 for her safe return, and after managing to trace the taxi, the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) subsequently raided the apartment. While no weapons were found, police did find video clips showing their crimes, and as Senior Supt Dumlao explains:
“The syndicates would show relatives these video clips. They used guns and beat the victims so that the families would give in immediately. Ms Wu Yan was not recorded, but she was beaten when she was speaking to her family.”
According to police findings so far, the syndicate would work in groups of four and after targeting a potential victim would offer to take them to a better casino where they would enjoy more luck. Offering a warning to tourists, Senior Supt Dumlao stated:
“We are really looking into this because of so many similar incidents at the casinos. Tourists should be aware [of strangers] and not entertain anybody who approaches you wanting to be friends at casinos.”