2 cops held for extortion

MANILA, Philippines — Two policemen were arrested in Cotabato City on Friday for allegedly extorting money from a motorist in exchange for his impounded vehicle.

M/Sgt. Nassrolah Abdula Gani and Executive M/Sgt. Benigno Mercado Jr. were apprehended by operatives of the police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in Barangay Rosary Heights I at 7:05 p.m.

IMEG director Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon said police conducted an entrapment in response to a complaint of an engineer.

The victim said the policemen and his four cohorts asked for P50,000 in exchange for the release of his vehicle, a green Honda Civic, which was impounded for an unspecified violation.

The suspects were held after they accepted P20,000 in marked money from the victim. Two cell phones, a 9mm handgun and a Galil rifle were also seized from the two.