A Chinese national suspected to be part of a kidnapping syndicate was halted by officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) from leaving the Philippines.
A Chinese national suspected to be part of a kidnapping syndicate was halted by officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) from leaving the Philippines.
The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Hu Zhen, was apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 Monday, February 19, as he was about to leave on a flight to Singapore.
Hu was detained by immigration officers after verifying that he was the subject of an outstanding hold departure order (HDO) issued by the regional trial court (RTC) in Angeles City, Pampanga.
“He is required to his court case before he can have his name lifted from the bureau’s hold departure list, as he claimed that said case was already dismissed,” said BI-BCIU overall deputy chief Joseph Cueto.
The HDO stemmed from a case for kidnapping and serious illegal detention for ransom filed against Hu and three other Chinese nationals before the Angeles City RTC Branch 56 on March 30, 2020.
Prosecutors alleged that on February 28, 2020, the four accused conspired and confederated to “willfully, unlawfully and feloniously abduct, detain and deprive” of his liberty another Chinese man by means of force.
The accused allegedly held the victim captive for more than two weeks and demanded a ransom of 300,000 Renminbi (P2.3 million) for his release.
He was, however, released when rescued by a team of policemen from the PNP’s anti-kidnapping task force on March 15, 2020.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco lauded the immigration personnel who successfully foiled Hu’s attempt to flee the country, citing the serious offenses that the Chinese passenger is accused of having committed.
“His attempt to flee was foiled by our officers. Because of his existing HDO, we cannot allow him to leave until he faces the case filed against him,” he said.