KINGDOM of Jesus Christ (KJC) pastor Apollo Quiboloy was detained in Hawaii after he was found carrying a questionable amount of dollars while traveling on his private plane, reports said.
KJC's public relations team, though, said it cannot comment on the report yet, as it prefers to wait for Quiboloy's arrival.
"We cannot comment on the issue yet, but we will inform every one of the date for a possible press conference when Pastor Apollo is ready," said the KJC Administration in a message forwarded to SunStar Davao.
It added that the pastor is already on his way back to the Philippines.
News of Quiboloy's detention circulated online late afternoon Thursday, February 15, a few hours after Hawaii News Now uploaded the story on its website.
The report stated that the church leader was held at the Honolulu Airport after federal agents found $350,000 in cash or about P18,257,694.31 on the plane he was on.
Quiboloy was among six people on the Cessna Citation Sovereign, which was to leave for the Philippines. But before it departed, Customs and Border Enforcement agents boarded it. And, court documents say, they found tens of thousands of dollars in cash -- all in $100 bills neatly folded and stuffed inside socks in a suitcase.
The authorities also found parts to assemble military-style rifles.
The report also said that Quiboloy, who claims to have six million followers worldwide, has a small storefront location in Waipahu, Hawaii.
The report also revealed that along with the pastor is Felina Salinas, the lone US citizen onboard the plane. She was arrested after admitting that the cash was hers.
The federal law requires a declaration of accounts to anyone who leaves the country with more than $10,000 on hand.
The complaint stated that Salinas only declared $40,000 and not the total $350,000 recovered. She was charged with attempted bulk cash smuggling.
Salinas is the business manager at the Waipahu church and a loyal supporter of the pastor.
Hawaii News Now tried asking one of the members of the religious group but wished his name be kept. The source said the pastor was in Hawaii for a concert.
The business manager was released on a $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on February 27.
The report added that Quiboloy, who was detained for most of the day on Friday, took a commercial flight back to the Philippines after his private plane worth $15 million remained in Honolulu as the federal government works on seizing it.