MANILA: A 48-year-old Singaporean woman who was kidnapped at the lobby of a casino in Manila was rescued by Philippine authorities on Tuesday (Jul 18).
Ms Wu Yan was kidnapped at the Solaire casino on Monday, and taken to a nearby hotel where she was beaten and threatened by her captors who demanded US$180,000 for her release, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration said.
She was rescued the next day after security guards noticed her feet dangling from a balcony, according to local media reports.
“We got a break from the information that Solaire (Resort and Casino) gave us. We traced the taxi used, a Toyota Avanza,” the police’s anti-kidnapping group director Glenn Dumlao was quoted as saying.
National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa said 41 Chinese nationals and two Malaysians have been arrested and kidnapping charges filed against them.
Police said the gang, believed to be a loan shark syndicate, was targeting foreign high-rollers, with 11 similar cases reported since 2015 involving two groups composed of Chinese and Singaporean citizens.
“There’s no forcible abduction because they lure the victim by continuously offering loans. And then they will say, ‘You do not have good luck here in Solaire’ or ‘You have bad luck in City of Dreams. Let’s move to Okada (another casino), maybe you will have better luck there.’ The victim will usually follow, believing that she or he will be able to recoup (their losses),” Mr Dumlao said.
Solaire, which is owned by Bloomberry Resorts, said on Thursday it does not tolerate loan sharks.
“Solaire continues to closely safeguard all its patrons to ensure their safety from unscrupulous personalities and activities even as it continues to coordinate and support government authorities in the fight against criminal activities,” it said in a statement.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singaporean-woman-kidnapped-in-manila-rescued-43-foreigners-9047096