Government agents arrested the suspected leader of a kidnap-for-ransom group victimizing Indian people in Bulacan province on Wednesday.
The report identified the suspect as Lloyd Andaya, the alleged leader of the Andaya-Acapulco kidnap-for-ransom group. He was detained in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, by agents from the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI AOTCD).
Andaya initially resisted arrest, the report said.
NBI AOTCD chief Manny Eduarte said the group would pretend to be members of the Bureau of Immigration and start harassing their targets, who are mostly Indian nationals with businesses in the country.
Rescued during the operation was an Indian man who was said to be tortured and was found with hands tied with an electrical wire.
Andaya, who has pending warrants of arrest for carnapping and kidnapping cases, denied the allegations.
In 2010, authorities were able to arrest three members of the Andaya-Acapulco group. Andaya allegedly started his kidnap-for-ransom operations in 2008.
At least three Indian nationals believed to be victims of Andaya are still missing, including one whose relatives already paid P1 million in ransom.