AUTHORITIES have arrested a "notorious estafa queen" in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu, police said Thursday, February 4, 2021.

Leonora Cantero also uses the name Leigh Abad and other names to avoid detection, said Philippine National Police (PNP)-Anti-kidnapping Group Director Jonnel Estomo.

Cantero was arrested in her residence in Barangay Basak by the AKG together with the Las Piñas and local police at around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 3.

Estomo said Cantero was involved in "various" kinds of fraud, including illegal recruitment of aspiring overseas Filipino workers.

At least seven arrest warrants for large scale estafa and estafa were issued against her by courts in Marikina, Cavite and Las Pinas from 2014 to 2015.

"The notorious estafa queen, who has a pending warrant of arrest for large scale illegal recruitment has been freely wandering around the Cebu Province looking for potential victims, particularly businessmen," Estomo said.

He said Cantero used the name Leigh Abad after she got married for the second time in 2013.

He said she falsified and fabricated all her personal information and documents to conceal her identity and mislead the authorities.

She was tracked through the PNP e-warrant system, which contains copies of all warrants issued by Metro Manila courts.

Cantero was detained at the Cebu City Police Regional Office for tactical interrogation and booking procedures prior to returning the warrant of arrest to the issuing courts for the issuance of a commitment order. (SunStar Philippines)