THE National Capital Region Field Unit of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Sunday said it has arrested an 82-year-old Australian national wanted for a string of criminal charges filed against him after he figured in 2013 road accident involving then Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.

CIDG-NCRFU chief, Colonel Randy Glenn G. Silvio said Michael Hatcher, a resident of 567 The Address Condominium, Old Wack-Wack Road in Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City was placed under arrest on the strength of warrants for direct assault upon a person of an agent of authority and frustrated murder issued by a Davao City court.

In a report to PNP-CIDG director, Major General Eliseo DC Cruz, the official said that prior to his arrest, the Australian, joined by his Filipina wife went to the Pasig City office of the Eastern Metro Manila District Field Unit under Lieutenant Col. Calvin Cuyag last Thursday afternoon to file a complaint against an alleged gold scammer.

The foreigner claimed that a certain Jay had offered to sell him a ton of gold bars allegedly hidden in Mindanao for P54 million.

Silvio said the Australian told the Eastern MMDFU and Mandaluyong City police officers that he and the seller had already struck the deal and will meet at Shangri-la EDSA in Mandaluyong City to sign the contract.

Sensing something fishy about the deal, the CIDG operatives discussed with the Australian their plans to hold an entrapment operation against the suspected fake gold bar syndicate members.

However, during their discussion, the Eastern MMDFU conducted a standard record check on Mr. Hatcher in their E-Warrant System and discovered that he is the subject of an existing warrant of arrest.

“Gut feel prompted us to check the records of the complainant who seemed to be arrogant and showing utter disrespect to our investigators despite their being courteous to him,” said Cuyag.

The archived warrant was issued by Judge Emmanuel Carpio of the Davao City Branch 16 on September 1, 2015.

Right after the warrant was verified, the CIDG Eastern MMDFU agents placed the Australian under arrest and brought him to Camp Crame for booking and temporary detention prior to his presentation to the Davao City court, said Silvio.

The accused opted to remain silent after being apprised of his Constitutional rights by the CIDG men.

It turned out that right after he was allowed to post bail by the Davao City court, the accused, now a resident of Catubig, Northern Samar failed to attend the scheduled trial of the case leading to the issuance of an alias warrant of arrest against him.

Col. Silvio said that despite the arrest of the Australian, he has ordered his men to conduct further investigation into the fake gold bar ring.