Ativan Gang invades posh Makati

Five mugging incidents involving foreigners in less than a month has prompted the Makati City police to create "Task Force Ativan" to put an end to the menace.

The initiative came as Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay ordered the Makati police to increase its intelligence network and intensify its efforts to apprehend the suspects.

Called the Ativan Gang because of its method of drugging victims before robbing them, this notorious group used to be prevalent in the tourist belt in Manila.

However, the closing down of girlie bars in Manila, particularly in Ermita, has resulted in a shift of the "red-light district" to Makati City. P. Burgos Street and parts of Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City have become popular hangouts of tourists and expatriates with nightly offerings of girls and booze.

Along with the foreigners came the Ativan Gang composed of con artists who are articulate, educated and in several cases, fluent in various languages.

According to the Makati City police, the suspects in three recent cases handed out the same calling card bearing the fictitious identity of a vice president of the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation.

The latest incident was reported last Monday involving a Japanese consultant who was drugged and robbed by the gang. Shuhei Uchida, 69, a consultant of the MRT was walking along an alley at the back of the Greenbelt Mall when the suspect approached him. Uchida was sweet-talked into going with the suspect who managed to drug him as soon as he got into a car. The Japanese woke up in a hospital in San Juan later that day without his wristwatch and cash.

On May 23, Spanish restaurateur Eduardo Moreno, the owner of Gaudi Restaurant, was also drugged and robbed and discovered lying in a vacant lot in Muntinlupa City.

Seven days later two Israelis were the next victims one of whom was able to escape from the Ativan Gang.

His companion, Broudo Gordechai, was missing for several days before he was discovered with no recollection of what had happened to him.

Soon after, Peter Holyoeke, a New Zealander, was also victimized and found unconscious by vendors along Jupiter Street.

On June 6, the Third Secretary of the South Korean embassy, Chung Young Ho was abducted and found dead in a Marikina morgue Monday.

The body was actually found on June 7 in Marikina but lack of coordination between the different branches of the Philippine National Police caused the delay in its identification.

Investigators believe that the South Korean’s death was accidental because the Ativan Gang is not known to kill its victims.

Based on the autopsy conducted on the diplomat, it was revealed that he died of suffocation.

Traces of noodles were found in his throat which was probably regurgitated and caused his death.

Task Force Ativan was activated by the Makati police last Monday to focus on the gang that has been victimizing foreigners in the city. – Marvin Sy