A man who posed as an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was arrested while enjoying a chill ride of his new Ford Ranger Raptor which he bought using the money he allegedly demanded from a foreigner seeking the release of his arrested friends.
The suspect, identified by the police as Crisanto Valdez, was collared at the intersection of Juan Luna Street and Hermosa Street in Tondo, Manila also yielded P1 million cash, which is part of the P10 million paid to him in exchange for the release of 20 Chinese arrested by NBI agents in a bar in Parañaque City last week.
He was collared on Feb 23, or a day after buying the Raptor.
Based on the report from the Southern Police District, the suspect and the Chinese businessman met with the assistance of a female administrative personnel and an intelligence agent of the Bureau of Immigration.
The Chinese businessman earlier approached the female BI personnel who in turn sought the assistance of her companion, a BI intelligence agent.
The BI intelligence agent then tapped the service of Valdez who allegedly promised to do the job after receiving the money in a restaurant on Feb. 20.
The two BI personnel were then invited by the policemen to shed light on the incident after the Chinese business lodged a complaint. The two BI personnel then assisted the cops in arresting Valdez.
“Further investigation revealed that the suspect had recently purchased the said vehicle on February 22, 2025, shortly after receiving the money from the complainant,” the police report read.
“During interrogation, the suspect admitted using the illicit funds for the purchase of the vehicle,” it added.
The suspect is currently under police custody and facing charges of Swindling (Estafa) under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code and Usurpation of Authority under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code.
The two BI personnel, on the other hand, became witnesses in the case.