Two Chinese casino gamblers kidnapped at Okada Manila

Two Chinese gamblers were rescued by police on Thursday after being held against their will at a casino in Entertainment City.

The Chinese tourists, Li Ning, and Yang Yang, flew from China to the Philippines on August 30 and booked a room at the Okada Manila resort in Paranaque City. 

There, the pair met with Deng Shiwu, from Jiangxi province, and Ou Jiamin, from Guangdong.

Deng offered Li a free three-night stay at Okada, which he claimed was courtesy of Suncity, a junket group. 

In exchange for the room, Li was told he would have to buy his casino chips through Deng and Ou. He exchanged RMB1 million for gambling chips, which he gambled away in just a few hours.

Li was then encouraged not to leave, and to instead borrow money from the group and continue playing. He refused and went back to his complimentary room with Yang.

The pair woke up in the middle of the night to find Deng asleep inside their room and blocking the door. 

Li alerted the hotel’s front desk, who then alerted police who rescued the pair and arrested Deng and Ou. 

The latest kidnapping brings the total number of abductions to 55 since 2017. 

Chinese gamblers remain the main victims of kidnappings in the Philippines, which has been on the rise in recent years.

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