MANILA, Philippines — The alleged mastermind and gunman in the murder of an Indian businessman in Quezon City last Feb. 14 were arrested on Thursday.
Randy Manalo, 32, and Mark Darriel Lagarde, 21, were apprehended in separate operations, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said.
Lagarde was arrested in Barangay Pasong Putik at around 2:45 p.m. followed by Manalo in Barangay Batasan Hills at around 3:30 p.m.
The suspects were implicated in the murder of Beant Singh, 47, in Barangay Batasan Hills.
The victim was collecting payments from several people at Kagawad and San Mateo Roads when he was shot dead by an armed man at around 2:30 p.m.
Torre said police investigators tracked down Lagarde’s whereabouts based on footage from closed-circuit television cameras and the testimony of the driver of a habal-habal, a colorum motorcycle taxi, which the suspect rode to Batasan Hills.
Police seized a .380-caliber handgun and a hand grenade from Lagarde.
Under interrogation, Lagarde identified Manalo as the one who ordered him to kill Singh in exchange for P20,000.
An investigation revealed Manalo wanted Singh dead as he owes the foreigner an unspecified amount of money.
Police are preparing murder charges against the suspects. Lagarde is facing separate complaints for illegal possession of a firearm and possession of an explosive.
2 traders ambushed
Meanwhile, two Indian traders were ambushed by motorcycle-riding assailants in Quezon City on Thursday night, which left one of them wounded.
The incident occurred in Barangay Santol at around 9:35 p.m., the QCPD Station 11 said.
Sukhwinder Singh, 32, and Sidhu Tirlochan Singh, 30, were on a motorcycle when they were attacked at the corner of Brixton Hill and Landargon streets.
The victims told probers that two men on a motorcycle, one of whom was armed with a handgun, were the suspects.
Sukhwinder was hit in his left hand and was brought to a hospital for medical treatment while Sidhu was unscathed.
Investigators recovered four bullet casings from a 9mm handgun at the scene.
Police have yet to determine the motive behind the shooting.