3 women nabbed after swindle try
Three young women were arrested after they allegedly tried to dupe a lawyer into lending them P30,000.
Suspects Donna Grace Catalan and Ivy Miasan, both 19 years old and residents of Brgy. Bolilao, Mandurriao, Iloilo City were arrested in an entrapment operation at the Tagbak Transport Terminal in Brgy. Tagbac, Jaro.
The third suspect, 22-year old Barbie Jucaban of Brgy. Simon Ledesma, Jaro, was arrested in a follow-up operation.
Investigator PO2 Arnel Villarante said that the incident started at around 5:30 p.m. of Monday when lawyer Miru Tupas of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo received a text message from the sender identifying herself as his friend.
The sender allegedly wanted to loan P30,000 from the complainant.
Since the sender was using a different mobile phone, Tupas decided to call his friend and learned that no such text message was made.
The lawyer decided to go with the suspects’ story but he already contacted the Jaro Police Station for the conduct of an entrapment operation.
Tupas later agreed to meet at the Tagbac Terminal where he was supposed to give the loaned amount.
At the terminal, the suspects were immediately arrested after receiving the amount, which consisted of a P100 marked bill and boodle money.
Later, the suspects received a text message wherein they were told to bring the money to Brgy. Simon Ledesma.
Unknown to Jucaban, her two cohorts were already arrested.
Jucaban’s arrest followed.
At the police station, the three women remained mum when asked as to what transpired.
In their short talk to the investigators, they claimed that someone told them to meet Tupas to get the money.
They denied that they were into a modus operandi of duping unsuspecting people.
Meanwhile, Tupas is bent on filing estafa charge against the suspects whom he suspects to be part of a syndicate.
