Chinese Filipino Anson Que, known as the "Steel King of the Philippines," and his driver were kidnapped and murdered at the end of March. The Philippine police confirmed on Saturday (19th) that three suspects involved in the kidnapping and murder of Anson Que had been detained, one of whom is a Chinese national, while the other two are Philippine nationals. Two Chinese nationals believed to be the masterminds behind the case remain at large.
According to comprehensive reports from Philippine media, local police confirmed the identities of the three suspects, including a Chinese national named Yang Jianmin (translated as Yang, Jianmin); the other two are Philippine nationals, one of whom is Yang Jianmin's driver.
The police stated that Yang's driver and another Filipino man were arrested on April 18, and Yang surrendered to the police on the 19th, "confessing involvement" in this kidnapping and extortion case. He currently faces two charges of "kidnapping and extortion resulting in death."
According to reports from "The Philippines Business Daily" on the 20th, the Chinese suspect is a leader of several Filipino-Chinese community organizations, and he and Anson Que belonged to the same organization while also operating a travel agency.
Anson Que and his driver went missing after leaving Anson Que's office on March 29. The next day, Anson Que's family received a $20 million ransom demand via WeChat. The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group later received a report about Anson Que's kidnapping. The bodies of Anson Que and his driver were found on April 9.
● Police: Perpetrators Planned the Kidnapping Since January
A Philippine police spokesperson pointed out that the kidnapping of Anson Que had been "planned for several months since January of this year, with the perpetrators initially intending to kill."
Police stated that, through investigation, it was found that the suspects used a Chinese female contact to lure Anson Que to a house in Wuxugan Province on March 28, a property rented by Yang, where Anson Que and his driver Babilo were confined, kidnapped, and ultimately killed.
● Investigating Ties with Online Gambling
The police pointed out that Yang is a member of a group associated with online gambling, specializing in kidnapping Chinese nationals "in debt" to online gambling companies, but Yang "only acted as an executor in this case, under the orders of the mastermind."
The Philippine police are investigating the case's connection to online gambling and have obtained an important lead indicating that the group involved in Anson Que's kidnapping was not solely motivated by ransom. "However, at the request of the victim's family, initial investigation details cannot be disclosed," and they are continuing to track the ransom flow.
The Philippine police confirmed that there are two other Chinese national "masterminds" at large in this case and revealed through investigation that the two cars under Yang's name (including the vehicle used to dispose of Anson Que and Babilo's bodies) had also been used in other kidnapping and extortion cases. With Yang's surrender, the police are confident in solving another five kidnapping and extortion cases in which Yang is also suspected of involvement.