Looks like some people just can’t accept that money doesn’t grow on trees.
In two separate events in Metro Manila yesterday, police arrested a total of eight people linked with more than PHP1 million (US$19,233.82) in fake peso bills.
The first incident happened in a house in Pasig City where authorities arrested Jaypee Balis, Aladdin Akil, Satar Akil, Ramil Badang, Alpha Sabar, and Watari Kusay for manufacturing counterfeit bills.
And apparently, they’re pretty good at their job.
“You won’t be able to tell [they’re fake] when they’re all mixed up. It was really well done,” Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) chief Senior Supt. Wilson Asueta said in Filipino.
According to the police, the men would sell PHP1,000 (US$19.22) bills for PHP300 (US$5.77) and PHP500 (US$9.61) for PHP100 (US$1.92) to PHP150 (US$2.88).
Found inside the house were nine bundles of fake PHP1,000 bills and five bundles of fake PHP500 bills. The police found the stash while searching the house for illegal firearms. Apart from the fake bills, the police also found an unlicensed 38-caliber revolver, five 38-caliber live ammunition, and two magazines of 5.56 were also found in the house, Sun StarManila reported.
The police suspect that the six men are part of a syndicate group and could be producing the money for the upcoming barangay (village) elections in May.
“They’ll use it to buy votes. Fake money usually proliferates during elections,” Asueta said.
In another incident in Navotas City, Erlinda Lumida and Sharon Ancheta were caught with fake bills after trying to pay a fish vendor with a fake PHP1,000 bill.
The vendor noticed that the bill was fake and called police manning the area.
After patting the women down, authorities found a wallet with PHP58,000 (US$1,115.12) worth of fake bills.
The women are currently in police custody at the Navotas police station.
