The Quezon City Police District on Friday reported the arrest of an individual believed to be involved in syndicated estafa and robbery-extortion.
The suspect — identified as Glenda Alvera Navarro — is allegedly owns an events production company that victimizes unwitting persons.
QCPD chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said that the company NEUWAVE Events and Production, Inc. has enticed police officer Matthew Bagtas Fajardo and businessman Bryan Dignadice Chua to invest in the company, with the promise of good profits amounting to P23,000,000 and P28,600,000, respectively.
"The suspect issued postdated checks, assuring the victims of a 50 percent return on investment and guaranteed interest. However, the checks issued by the suspect were dishonored; hence, the victims demanded the return of their invested funds," Maranan said.
"When complainant Chua called the suspect to return his money, the suspect got angry and threatened Chua and his family, stating that she has a connection in Malacañang and at the Immigration," he added.
Navarro also had the temerity to an additional amount of P16,000,000 from Chua to allegedly fund a KBLAST concert scheduled on 24 November.
"However, the victim declined, stating that he had already invested a lot of his money and citing the dishonored bank checks as a major concern," said the QCPD chief.
"This made the suspect angry, and she threatened Fajardo that she would do everything to remove him as a police officer since she has connections in Malacañang, prompting the victims to report the incident to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit," he added.
Reports disclosed that the CIDU initiated an entrapment operation on 2 November at 8 p.m. at an establishment along Kalayaan Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City which resulted in the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the demanded money, along with a bank check.
Navarro was then brought to QCPD-Forensic Unit for Ultra-Violet Fluorescence Powder Test, which led to a positive result.
A manhunt operation is being conducted for the possible arrest of her cohorts.
The arrested suspect will be charged with syndicated estafa and two counts of robbery extortion before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office, while the charges for 22 counts of violation of B.P. 22, also known as the Anti-Bouncing Check Law, will be referred to for further investigation.