Two Filipino suspects arrested for theft at last year's Taipei jewelry fair

去年在台北舉行的珠寶展上，兩名菲律賓籍嫌犯被捕

Filipino ring leaders of a gang that robbed Japanese man of 300,000 yen admit to their crime


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Two Philippine suspects in the robbery of 300,000 yen (US$2,750) from a handbag at last year's Taiwan Jewelry and Gem show have been apprehended as they tried to pass through customs at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, reported Apple Daily.

According to police, the two suspects who have been identified as Leonor Martinez, 37 and Nathaniel Alfelor, 64, were identified by customs officers at 11 a.m., Sunday (Jan. 28) and were taken into custody by police from Taipei's Xinyi Precinct.

Alfelor is believed to be the leader of a gang of five Philippine nationals behind the robbery of a Japanese man at the 2017 Taiwan Jewelry and Gem show, which also saw a separate ring of thieves make off with NT$255 million (US$8.4 million) in gemstones.

After being questioned by police, the two admitted to robbing the Japanese man, but they denied any involvement with the massive jewel heist which involved thieves from Mexico and Colombia and took place at the same venue. Police are now expanding the investigation.

On Nov. 6, 2017, the last day of the four-day Taipei Jewelry and Gem Fair, a Japanese exhibitor said as he was leaving the show, two Southeast Asian men asked him for directions in an unintelligible language for around ten seconds and left, after which he found his black bag, with around NT$100,000 in cash, was gone. In addition to the cash, the bag also contained his personal belongings, including his passport, credit cards and keys.

A foreign female wearing a hijab was said to have attempted to enter the hotel room of the Japanese exhibitor with a key found inside the lost purse but was stopped by hotel staff. Police now believe that the act was an attempt to enter the room to steal more items and was part of the same crime ring lead by Alfelor.

After an investigation, police said that the suspects were part of a five-person pickpocket ring, which entered Taiwan on Nov. 2, after which they spent the next two days sightseeing in Keelung, where Police were unable to find any reports of thefts. On Nov. 5, the five traveled together to Chiayi where they allegedly stole a Rolex watch valued at NT$900,000 from a Formosa Times watch store.

On the evening of Nov. 6, they went to the Taiwan Jewelry and Gem fair in Taipei and police allege they rendezvoused with the Latin American gang at the main entrance to the show. At 6 p.m., they stole the bag from the Japanese jeweler.

After making off with the money, the five at 8 p.m. went to Taipei's Sanchong District to eat noodles. At 1 a.m. on Nov. 7, the five pickpockets then boarded a plane back to Manila. Police are now investigating the group's connection with the Chiayi robbery and are searching for the three remaining suspects.

Meanwhile, one suspect believed to from the Latin American crime ring involved in the jewel heist was arrested at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday, reported ETtoday. Police believe this arrest should aid in the capture in the remaining 10 suspects from the ring.