Four Indian nationals have been arrested for allegedly robbing and illegally detaining their fellow countrymen last week, the Southern District Police reports on Monday, July 8, 2024. | PHOTO: Official facebook page of SPD
MANILA, Philippines — Four Indian nationals have been arrested for allegedly robbing and illegally detaining their fellow countrymen last week.
According to the Southern Police District (SPD), the suspects are identified through their aliases Ramanathan, 22; Devesh, 22; Sanjay, 22; and Venkata, 21. They reportedly have two other cohorts – alias Lmahen and Shivarishi – who are still at large.
Authorities said the four suspects were arrested for allegedly victimizing fellow Indian nationals who are also identified through their aliases Ven, 21; Vam, 21; Kal, 19; and Sai, 22. The suspects supposedly illegally detained the victims, who are students, from July 4-5.
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The SPD said Las Piñas City Police Station officers rescued the victims on July 5, following a complaint which detailed the purported nefarious activities of the suspects. The police did not disclose the name of the complainant.
Based on the police’s investigation, the four Indian students were reportedly detained due to an unpaid balance of P200,000 from a previous car accident settlement.
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It appears that the four victims rented from the four Indian nationals an SUV that figured in an accident in Nasugbu, Batangas last May 24. The four suspects asked the victims to pay P700,000 for damages, but was just paid P500,000.
The SPD said police officers confiscated from the suspects a vehicle, wooden broomstick, and metal dustpan allegedly used to assault the victims, ATM cards owned by the victims, the P120,000 cash supposedly taken from the victims’ bank accounts, and a phone during the rescue operation.
It also said that the victims and suspects were taken to Las Piñas District Hospital for medical examination and later to the Las Piñas Police Station for further investigation.