You’ve heard it before. In hushed tones, parents talk about stories of child kidnappings. It may happen during times when their kids are out of the house. (Although in most cases, it's just traffic.) When stressed about their kids, parents may wonder if their own children could be abducted.
But why do malicious people abduct children? And how exactly do they go about it?
Child kidnappings in Divisoria
In a recent video of CCTV footage shared by the Facebook page OFW Kalingawan, it's apparent that there’s a new kidnapping modus operandi happening in the streets. The kidnappers allegedly operate at Kambal na Krus, Razabago, Tondo, Manila.
According to the poster, the kidnappers pretend to be scavengers looking for things to sell in garbage dumps. Their tactic involves giving Php200 to their targets and asking the child to go with them to Divisoria. Once the victim agrees to go with them, they abduct the child on their way to Divisoria and vanish without a trace.
The suspicious men in the video have tried kidnap at least two children in the area, the poster said.
Child kidnappings from a white van in Bulacan
Meanwhile, there’s another kidnapping syndicate operating at Sto. Niño, Meycauayan, Bulacan. One Facebook user, Emma Galang Trinidad, captured some suspicious photos of an unnamed woman in a vehicle. They are alleged kidnappers using a white van to abduct children.
The woman is allegedly pretending to be a mentally disturbed person who would approach their target. She does this perhaps to show that she is quite harmless, before grabbing a child.
Trinidad says the kidnappers appear to be using two white vans with plate numbers UMJ 450 and AAZ 1807 to abduct children.
As of this writing, there is no known motive for these child kidnappings. However, there have been reports before of missing children in depressed areas in Metro Manila.
Child kidnappings in Laguna
Just last January, GMA News published a report that said there were reports of attempted child kidnappings in Biñan, Laguna.
Three children in their early teens (ages 10 to 15) reported there were criminal elements who attempted to kidnap them. The criminal elements were reported to have tried to kidnap them using a black van.
So far these people are yet to be apprehended.
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