Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed on Monday that the ransom money paid for the slain Filipino-Chinese steel magnate Anson Que was funneled through accounts belonging to two casino junket operators.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a press conference held at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo named the junket operators as 9 Dynasty Group and White Horse Club, which are major players in the country’s casino industry. Fajardo explained that the ransom money was initially transferred through these operators’ accounts and e-wallets before eventually being moved to cryptocurrency wallets.
Fajardo provided a visual representation of the complex network of accounts linked to the two junket operators and the crypto wallets involved. She noted that the majority of the ransom was handled by the 9 Dynasty Group, reportedly owned by Li Duan Wang, also known as Mark Ong. Ong’s bid for Filipino naturalization was vetoed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier this year due to concerns over his character and potential risks.
The spokesperson highlighted that 9 Dynasty Group operates without a proper license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and has been implicated in laundering money obtained from illegal activities.
PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) acting director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang disclosed that the group has issued subpoenas to two local virtual asset service providers (VASP) and has reached out to two foreign providers as part of their ongoing investigation. Yang mentioned that they are awaiting responses from their international counterparts but did not specify the countries involved.
He further revealed that one of the overseas VASPs has successfully frozen several accounts containing USD79,000, equivalent to PHP4.4 million. VASPs play a crucial role in facilitating activities involving virtual assets such as cryptocurrency transactions.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil refrained from disclosing the total amount of ransom money processed through the e-wallets and crypto wallets to safeguard the integrity of the investigation. He emphasized the need for stricter regulations on junket operations, citing their misuse for illegal purposes.
Marbil announced a PHP10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of a Chinese woman, Wenli Gong alias Kelly Tan Lim, linked to the kidnap-slay case. Gong is believed to have orchestrated the movement of the ransom money through various e-wallets before its conversion to cryptocurrency. Authorities last traced Gong to Boracay on April 21.
The tragic case began when Que and his driver, Pabillo, were last seen departing Que’s office in Valenzuela City on March 29. Their bodies were discovered on April 9, at a roadside in Rodriguez, Rizal.
