Fake ex-DENR employee arrested for P700,000 land registration scam

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested an individual posing as a former employee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), who victimized a 72-year-old grandmother of P700,000 after promising to help register her land property in Rizal province.

In an interview on Friday, NBI Spokesperson Palmer Mallari said the subject told the victim he had a network of friends who could help arrange the registration of her land property.

But the investigation revealed that the subject was not in any way connected with the DENR or any other relevant agency, such as the Land Registration Authority.

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“He had a false representation that he’s capable of processing all the documents that would eventually lead to the registration of the land where our complainant’s house is located,” Mallari said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Our subject’s promise was not fulfilled, and after that, he fled from our complainant,” he added.

Mallari said that after the NBI’s Organized and Transnational Crimes Division (OTCD) received the complaint, its agent-on-case immediately filed charges of estafa before the prosecutor’s office in San Mateo, Rizal.

The case was then elevated to court, allowing the Municipal Trial Court of San Mateo to issue an arrest warrant.

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Meanwhile, Mallari said the subject had been able to hide since the warrant was issued months ago; thus, the OTCD asked the bureau’s Technical Intelligence Division and nearby offices in Rizal and Laguna for assistance in tracing his location.

“Fortunately, after several days of surveillance and technical surveillance as well, we were able to trace the location of our accused,” Mallari said, noting that the subject has since victimized other individuals using the same modus operandi.

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The subject was arrested in an entrapment operation in Marikina City on Wednesday, July 8, and was brought to the bureau’s detention center in Multinlupa City after being processed.

The subject is scheduled to be arraigned in court, allowing the hearing of his case to begin. /mr

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