Key points:
- Casinos terminate ties with junkets following police probe into ransom trail
- PNP confirms money moved through e-wallets linked to junket operations
- Police continue manhunt for key Chinese suspect with PHP10m ($173,000) bounty
Six major casinos in the Philippines have suspended operations with two junket operators after investigators linked them to the ransom payment in the high-profile kidnapping and killing of businessman Anson Que, also known as Anson Tan, according to The Inquirer.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) disclosed that the Que family’s ransom payment was traced to the electronic wallets of White Horse Club and 9 Dynasty Group. Speaking at a press briefing in Pampanga, PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo confirmed that at least six casinos had terminated their junket partnerships due to the operators’ alleged involvement in the case and potential legal violations. The names and locations of the casinos were not disclosed.
Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, were abducted from Valenzuela City on 29 March. Their bodies were later found on 9 April in Rizal province. Investigations revealed they had been killed on 8 April in a house in Bulacan.
Two Filipino suspects, Richardo Austria and Raymart Catequista, were arrested in Palawan on 18 April. A Chinese national, David Tan Liao, surrendered to authorities a day later.
The PNP has since issued a nationwide manhunt for another Chinese suspect, Wenli Gong, also known as Kelly Tan Lim. She is believed to have played a central role by luring the victims into the residence where they were held. A reward of PHP10m has been offered for information leading to her arrest.
Authorities continue to investigate the extent of the junket operators’ involvement, particularly in how casino-linked platforms may have been used to launder or distribute ransom payments.
