An Indian national, alleged to be one of the masterminds of a kidnapping syndicate that victimised Indians living in Manila, was arrested by Philippine authorities while he was trying to flee the country.
The Bureau of Immigration, in a statement issued in Manila, said Kulwant Singh was arrested by them on January 24, while he was about to board a Singapore Airlines flight to New Delhi via Singapore.
Immigration agents seized spurious travel documents, including fake re-entry permit and exit clearance certificates, sources in Manila told PTI over the phone.
According to Philippine Immigration agents, Singh had been repeatedly summoned to answer allegations that he had been using aliases and was involved in kidnapping activities. However, he had been eluding immigration operatives while moving from one residence to another to evade them.
The statement by the Immigration department cited intelligence reports that Singh was allegedly one of the masterminds of a kidnapping syndicate that operated and victimised Indian nationals living in eastern Metropolitan Manila and Rizal province, east of the Philippine capital.
Another Indian believed to be part of Singh's kidnapping gang is still at large and is being hunted by Immigration agents, the sources said.
To counter kidnap gangs targetting foreign businessmen in Manila, authorities have recently launched a massive anti-crime drive in the country.
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