CABANATUAN CITY – Four people in an alleged P809,500 online scam were arrested in an entrapment operation in Barangay Burnay, Talavera, Nueva Ecija before dawn Sunday, Jan. 19.
The arrested suspects were a 25-year-old male from Barangay Burnay, a 22-year-old female also from Barangay Burnay, a 28-year-old male from Barangay San Pascual, and a male of legal age, also from Barangay San Pascual, all of Talavera town.
Nueva Ecija police director Col. Ferdinand Germino, said the entrapment operation was hatched at about 1:20 a.m., prompted by a complaint lodged by a certain Renz Cezar Cordova, 32, a co-owner of motorsport shop G Racing.
Cordova, a resident of Barangay MS Garcia here, told the police that the primary suspect, a 24-year-old male, posed as a buyer and reseller of motor parts.
The suspect ordered motor parts worth P809,500.00 and sent a falsified online transaction slip as proof of payment.
“Trusting the slip’s legitimacy, Cordova arranged for the delivery of the motor parts via a Lalamove driver,” Germino said.
It was only after verifying with his bank that Cordova discovered no payment had been made, and the transaction slip was fake, police reported.
Realizing the fraudulent nature of the transaction, Cordova sought assistance from Talavera police station, who responded quicky and set up an entrapment operation.
The suspects were apprehended in possession of the motor parts during the operation, while the primary suspect managed to escape and is now the subject of a manhunt operation.
The four arrested suspects, along with the one at large, will face charges of syndicated estafa, with no bail recommended.
“These swindlers, who know nothing but prey on others for their own gain, will not escape justice. I will see to it that they will face the full force of the law, and their actions will lead to their swift and permanent incarceration,” Germino said.
