TWO extortionists, including a woman, will go straight to jail after they were caught extorting P5 million from a customs broker in exchange for having his name erased from a list of customs officials supposedly targeted for assassination in an entrapment operation in Caloocan City.
According to P/Lt. Col. Jay Dimaandal, chief of the District Special Operations Unit of the Northern Police District (NPD-DSOU), Mark Joshua Bauit, 25 years old, a customs broker and a resident of 517 Extremadura St. Brgy. 434, Sampaloc, Manila asked for police assistance after receiving threats from the suspects that he and his family are targets for assassination.
Bauit said the suspects were demanding P5 million cash from him so that his name won’t be included in a list of targets, and was given until 2:10 am of February 23, 2022 to give the money to them at the corner of Rizal Avenue Ext. and 5th Avenue in Caloocan City.
Col. Dimaandal immediately formed a team under the leadership of P/Capt. Melito Pabon, together with operatives from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). before mounting an entrapment operation against the suspects.
Upon handing over the marked money composed of three pieces of real P1,000 bills and the boodle money to the suspects, who were onboard a Ford Ranger and one motorcycle, they were immediately arrested by the police.
NPD Director P/BGen. Jose Hidalgo identified the suspects as Justine Brizuela, 31 years old, a consultant and a resident of 759 Maria Sudafed St., Brgy. San Antonio Valley 1, Parañaque City, and Mark Anthony Teves, 32 years old, of Blk 17 Lot 14 Daffodil St., Molino Park Homes Queens Row West Molino, Bacoor, Cavite.
Also confiscated by the DSOU operatives from the suspects were three cellphones, marked money used during the entrapment operation, and the vehicles they used for their criminal activities.