Philippines: Indian kidnapping ring busted

Three Indian men have been arrested in Philippines for allegedly abducting a compatriot, with the police claiming that they ran a kidnapping racket targeting Indian businessmen there.

The three were identified as Manjit Singh, 31, claimed to be the ringleader, Sanjeev Kumar, 30 and, Gurnam Singh, 36, said Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, chief of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response, an elite anti-kidnapping unit of the Philippine National Police.

Nerez said the arrest on June 12 came a year after they abducted one of their victims identified as money-lending businessman Sajeev Kumar, who has almost the same name of one of his alleged kidnappers, Xinhua news agency reported.

The main problem so far, Nerez said, is that they have no idea whether or not the victim is still alive as the three would not cooperate in the investigation.

"But based on our assessment, there is a very small possibility that the victim is still alive," he said.

Nerez said the suspects recently contacted the victim's wife and demanded ransom money in exchange for the release of her husband whom she has been searching for since last year.

Police laid a trap and arrested the trio in Manila.

Nerez said further investigation revealed that the group was also allegedly involved in five more cases of kidnapping for ransom in Philippines since April 2007.