Three persons who allegedly swindled Japanese citizens have been arrested by the police criminal investigators in an entrapment operation on Malate on Monday, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Tuesday.

"Acting on the pre-arranged signal of one of three Japanese complainants, at around 7:10 pm of January 15, 2018, operatives of CIDG Anti-Transactional Crime Unit conducted entrapment operation for violation of Article 315 Revised Penal Code ( swindling/estafa in the large scale ) at Kokoru KTV Bar located at Adriatico St., Malate," a CIDG statement said

Arrested were Karen Suico, 42 years old, single, native of Davao City; Ralphael Alisuag, 26 years old, single, native of Alitagtag, Batangas and Mark Anthony Dela Cruz, 27 years old, single, and a resident of San Roque, Navotas City.

The operation was launched on the basis of the complaints of three Japanese nationals who claimed that on June 2017, they were duped by the suspects of P11 million into investing in an alleged transport corporation operated by the suspects.

It turned out the company does not exist, the CIDG said.

Recently, the suspects again called the Japanese complainants asking for the P9 million balance, prompting the foreigners to seek police help.

The suspects were arrested after they received from the complainants boodle money worth P9 million with dusted 10 pieces of 1000 peso bills placed on top of it.

The CIDG said it will coordinate with the Japanese Embassy to find out if other Japanese were victimized by the same group. DMS