Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday directed the police to ramp up their efforts to trace and recover the ransom money paid by the family of slain Filipino-Chinese businessman Anson Que.

“I’ll be meeting with some of the police officers this afternoon,” Remulla said in a chance interview. He emphasized the importance of recovering the ransom money and returning it to the family.

Que, also known as Anton Tan, and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, were found dead on 4 April in a grassy area in Rodriguez, Rizal, days after being last seen leaving his office in Valenzuela City.

Both showed signs of torture and strangulation, and Que’s black Lexus SUV was later recovered in Quezon City.

The P200-million ransom paid by Que’s family was allegedly handled by two junket operators — 9Dynasty Group and White Horse Club — before it was funneled through multiple e-wallet accounts and converted to cryptocurrency.

The rapid and complex series of transactions has made it challenging for the authorities to recover the ransom. Probers believe the money was laundered almost immediately after being received.

The case has garnered widespread attention and raised concerns within the Filipino-Chinese business community, prompting the Department of Justice to initiate a dialogue with community leaders and form a task force to address security issues and prevent similar crimes in the future.