WHAT began as a high-stakes casino deal inside a Pasay hotel ended in an arrest at a restaurant in Cavite, after police tracked a suspect in a P20-million estafa (swindling) case on Monday, Nov. 10. The suspect, a 58-year-old man known only as Bobby, was cornered by operatives of the Southern Police District (SPD) in a joint operation with intelligence units from Batangas and Dasmariñas City. Police said the arrest stemmed from a complaint by Lipa City businessman Dad Carlo Arguelles, 43, who claimed he was duped into investing in a supposed winning baccarat scheme at Resorts World Manila. Arguelles said he was introduced by one of the suspects, alias Raffy, to the group that promised to turn his P20 million cash into $400,000 worth of casino chips. The deal took place at a hotel in Villamor, but within an hour after handing over the cash, the man identified as "Roger," who received it, disappeared — and so did the money. However, when Arguelles checked the casino, the chips turned out to be fake. He then used a tracker hidden inside the luggage that contained the cash, which led investigators to a restaurant in Sampaloc 4, Dasmariñas, Cavite. There, police arrested "Bobby," who was unemployed and residing in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Recovered from his possession were a white Toyota Fortuner allegedly used in the heist, fake casino chips valued at $400,000, and white luggage with P15 million in cash. The suspect was brought to the Pasay City Police Investigation and Detective Management Section for further investigation. Pasay police said the case will be referred to the city prosecutor’s office for inquest proceedings.