Operatives from the Northern Police District (NPD) arrested a man and a woman involved in a robbery extortion incident in Caloocan City early Thursday morning, Feb. 24.
Police Lt. Col Jay Dimaandal, NPD Special Operations Unit (DSOU) chief, identified the suspects as Mark Anthony Teves, 32, from Bacoor, Cavite, and his cousin Justine Brizuela, 31, from Paranaque City, who were arrested in an entrapment operation.
Dimaandal told Manila Bulletin that the victim, Joshua Bauit, 25, a custom broker from Sampaloc, Manila, reported that he was receiving threats from the suspects who were asking for P5 million or his family would be killed.
The DSOU launched the entrapment at the corner of Rizal and 5th Avenues, Grace Park, in Caloocan City at around 2:10 a.m. on Thursday. The victim contacted the suspects saying that the money will be delivered by a Grab driver.
The two went to the location after the driver said that his car broke down while on the road, which led to their arrest.
Authorities recovered three cellphones, three pieces of P1,000, a black vehicle, and a motorcycle from the suspects
Teves and Brizuela will be charged for violation of Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code or "robbery extortion" in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175 or the "Cyber Crime Law," police said.