Suspects mum on brains behind counterfeit US dollars worth P1.9M

THREE suspects caught printing fake United States dollars by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) last June 5 are keeping their mouths shut, refusing to say who bankrolled their counterfeiting operation and who else may be involved.

Vincent Sagrado Cabiladas, 37, Amiel Nayve, 40 and Rex L. Padere, 38 - all Cagayan de Oro City residents - were arrested in a dawn raid Friday by CIDG agents belonging to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Northern Mindanao Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDG-NORMINCIDU) inside the VMAR Printing Press located at 12-30 Streets, Barangay Nazareth.

Police officers seized 82 pieces of USD500, 70 pieces of USD100, 41 USD20, 45 pieces of USD10, and 45 USD5 notes which amount to USD49,270 or P1,970,800. Sheets of uncut counterfeit dollar bills were also seized in the raid as well as various denominations of fake Philippine peso bills.

Arresting officers said they also found crumpled banknotes in the trash.

The three will be charged with violation of Articles 166, 168 and 176 (Illegal Possession of Counterfeit Treasury, Bank Notes and Other Instruments of Credit and Manufacturing and Possession of Instruments or Implements for Falsification) of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, according to a member of the arresting unit.

Deputy City Officer of Cagayan de Oro City-Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CDOC-CIDT) SPO3 Noel Oclarit said various illegal drugs paraphernalia were also confiscated during the raid.

Oclarit said the raid was made through a search warrant issued by presiding Judge Gil G. Bollozos of the Regional Trial Court—Branch 20 of Northern Mindanao.

Oclarit said an informant had tipped officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) who in turn sought their help in arresting those behind the counterfeiting operations.

A week before the June 5 raid, Oclarit said CIDG agents bought four pieces of 1,000 fake peso bills from the suspects. Oclarit said the fake bills were sold at P350 each.

The bills were later sent to the BSP offices in Manila for testing.

Also seized in the raid were cell phones, computers, printers, a USB flash disk containing the files of the fake money, parchment papers, and inks.

The suspects are now detained at the CIDG detention facility in Patag, this city.

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