Police arrested a married couple wanted for syndicated estafa and listed among Batangas province’s most wanted persons during a joint operation in Occidental Mindoro on Independence Day, authorities said in a a belated report.

Ronald Rivera and Shielan Crisel Rivera were apprehended by operatives from the Cuenca Municipal Police Station (Batangas) in Sitio Marumpungin, Barangay Poblacion, Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro, around 9 p.m. on June 12, 2025.

The arrest followed coordination between Cuenca police and the Calintaan Municipal Police Station (MPS), according to Police Master Sergeant Kristoffer Credo of the Calintaan MPS. The operation involved personnel from the Cuenca MPS, Batangas Provincial Police Office (PPO), Calintaan MPS, and the MIMAROPA Regional Intelligence Division.

A warrant for the couple’s arrest was issued on June 2, 2025, by the Regional Trial Court in Las Piñas City.

The warrant relates to Criminal Case No. 25-0589, charging violations of Article 315, Paragraph 2(A) of the Revised Penal Code (estafa) in connection with Section 1 of Presidential Decree 1689 (the Syndicated Estafa Decree of 1980), the Batangas Provincial Police Office said in a press release.

Syndicated estafa is a non-bailable offense.

Police Colonel Jacinto R. Malinao, Jr., Provincial Director of Batangas PPO, described the operation as demonstrating police dedication to justice and maintaining order, commending the rapid response of units from Batangas and Occidental Mindoro.

The suspects are currently held at Cuenca MPS and will be transferred to Las Piñas City where the warrant was issued, Credo confirmed.

Reports suggested the couple had operated businesses in Calintaan, allegedly without complete documentation and bypassing zoning regulations.

While providing some employment in Mindoro, authorities alleged these businesses served as a front for criminal activities.

Some residents expressed fears online that the area might be becoming a haven for fugitives.

Police urged Calintaan residents to remain vigilant and comply with the law, pledging continued efforts to prevent the town from being used as a refuge by fugitives.