CEBU CITY -- Four Chinese nationals who were suspected to be members of a kidnap-for-ransom group were killed in an alleged shootout with the police on Monday night in Lapu-Lapu City.

The shootout took place as the police tried to rescue a 70-year-old Chinese national inside an exclusive subdivision in Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu.

The Anti-Kidnapping Group-Visayas Field Unit (AKG-VFU) have yet to release the names of the killed Chinese nationals pending further investigation.

Lt. Zosimo Ravanes Jr., team leader of AKG-VFU, said the slain foreigners were behind the kidnapping of their 70-year-old compatriot.

Ravanes said Lyu Xingou, a native of Fujian, China, was kidnapped past 8 a.m. on May 25 in his house in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

The victim, a businessman, was about to leave home for work when a Chinese speaking man pointed a gun at him.

The victim was dragged outside the house and was forced to board a vehicle.

The incident was reported to the Mabolo Police Station, which then coordinated with the AKG-VFU.

“We reviewed the footage of security cameras from the victim’s house and all the roads where the vehicle may have possibly passed and that led to us to Lapu-Lapu,” said Ravanes.

Ravanes said they later discovered that a group of Chinese nationals was renting a house at Aldea del Sol Subdivision in Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City.

Ravanes said the kidnappers demanded RMB 1,000,000,000 from the victim’s son who was in China at the time of the abduction.

Before the rescue operation, the victim’s family had paid RMB 500,000 to his abductors.

The initial amount of ransom was paid through WeChat number 0915 6676595.

It was through the number that AKG-VFU was able to locate the safe house of the group.

Ravanes added that while they were conducting surveillance in the area, they chanced upon a Chinese-looking individual, who was seen going in and out of the house that the police have been closely monitoring.

It was around 10 p.m. on Monday when a rescue operation was launched. Aside from AKG-VFU, operatives from the Regional Intelligence Division-7, Regional Special Operations Group-7, Special Weapon and Tactics-Lapu-Lapu City and Highway Patrol Group also took part in the rescue operation.

Ravanes said when rescue teams stormed the house, shots were fired at them that triggered a shootout.

“The exchange of gunfire lasted for a few minutes. These people were really determined to fight,” Ravanes said.

Ravanes added that one policeman was hit in the chest but was saved by the bulletproof vest he was wearing.

Recovered from the suspects were assorted firearms believed to be .45 caliber pistols and 9mm pistols.

Monday’s incident took place more than three weeks after two Chinese nationals were arrested for kidnapping their compatriot in Barangay Mactan.

Rong Tong Xue and Gou Min Li were arrested last March 7 in a house in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu where their captive, Li Hong Yu, was also rescued.

“We will check if these two incidents are connected,” said Ravanes.

Ravanes described the two incidents as “isolated incidents.”

“I think this kind of incident is not rampant in Cebu. The suspects belonged to a kidnap-for-ransom group whose leaders are based in Manila,” said Ravanes.