By HENRY EMPEÑO | 

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — A Chinese national was detained here by authorities after he and another compatriot seized a vehicle at knifepoint from a Filipino driver along the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) early Sunday evening.

Twenty-four year old Bin Zhang, who gave his address as Silver City 4 Condominium in Pasig City, was arrested by security officers of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) at the Subic Gateway Hub three hours after the reported carnapping.

The stolen vehicle, a white Hyundai Starex van with plate number KOP-347, was also recovered at the Subic Gateway Park earlier.

The suspect Bin Zhang after arrest

According to investigators at the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, Bin and another Chinese national were picked up by driver George Villanueva at Ortigas in Manila at about 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Villanueva, an on-call driver from Kawit, Cavite, said his boss, a certain Mr. Wong, asked him to bring his passengers to Buma Hotel in the Subic Bay Freeport.

However, upon reaching the Tipo Gate of the SFEX at about 6:00 p.m., the suspects allegedly poked Villanueva with a cutter knife. The driver managed to escape from the van and the culprits immediately drove away toward the Subic Bay Freeport.

Villanueva thereafter sought the help of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway patrol and at 7:53 p.m. found the stolen vehicle parked near a bank along the Rizal Highway here.

Responding SBMA security officers later apprehended Bin at the Gateway area at 9:05 p.m.

During investigation, however, security officers were puzzled to know that Bin had turned over the vehicle’s key to a security guard detailed at the Gateway Hub.

It also remained a mystery to them why the two Chinese nationals went to Subic.

Investigators said Bin, who sported body tattoos including one that ran along the length of his spine, did not speak any English. His companion, who is yet to be identified, remained at large as of Monday morning.

SBMA security officers later turned over the suspect to the Philippine National Police office in Hermosa, Bataan for proper filing of the case.