The recent abduction of a Chinese student from a foreign educational institution has been connected to retired military personnel working as enforcers for Chinese mobsters involved in illegal online gaming, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
During a radio interview, PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz revealed that these former soldiers are employed by the Chinese criminal underworld to conduct illicit activities such as kidnapping, extortion, and homicide.
“We are investigating this group of enforcers. We are in the process of identifying those responsible,” Cruz stated. He elaborated that these henchmen are called into action when anyone defies the Chinese-run gambling operations, known as POGOs, and will resort to kidnapping or torture.
Following President Marcos’s recent ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, illegal gambling operations have persisted, run by unscrupulous elements utilizing these ‘muscle groups’.
Furthermore, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has noted that a person named Wang Dan Yu, also known as “Bao Long,” orchestrated the kidnapping. This individual is wanted in China for crimes such as murder and car theft. Wang is also accused of committing murder in Makati City after a dispute last October 17 and is currently in hiding.
Makati Police authorities have indicated that Wang Dan Yu arrived from Thailand in 2019 and remains in the country due to a hold departure order from the Bureau of Immigration.
Discrepancies in the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group’s report on the recovery of the kidnapped 14-year-old have led to the dismissal of the group’s chief, Col. Elmer Ragay. PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil emphasized the necessity of a detailed inquiry to maintain public confidence and verify the PNP’s operations.