NINE foreigners and two Filipinos have been arrested by the Aviation Security Unit of Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) after attempting to smuggle nearly half a billion pesos at the airport.
The nine individuals were set to depart for Manila at around 9 p.m. on Friday, May 9, 2025 when General Aviation police at the MCIA intercepted seven suitcases filled with P1,000 bills as these passed through the x-ray machine. They were supposed to board a private airplane they had chartered.
There were no details made available as of press time regarding the group’s Filipino companions.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office spokesperson, Lt. Col. Christian Torres, in a phone interview with SunStar Cebu on Saturday, May 10, said the arrested foreigners were Chinese and Malaysian nationals who now remain in the custody of airport authorities.
Torres said the nine individuals were accused of violating Commission on Elections Resolution 11104, which includes a provision that classifies the possession of a large sum of money as potential money laundering.
Upon counting by Aviation Security authorities, the money reportedly amounted to P441 million.
The Aviation Security unit has coordinated with the Police Regional Office 7 for an in-depth investigation to trace the origin of the large sum that the Chinese and Malaysians attempted to smuggle through Mactan.
An initial investigation indicated the money came from the group’s casino winnings after several days of gambling in a well-known casino in Cebu City.
However, the police said they will not simply accept this information as they have yet to validate the claim.
Authorities are investigating the potential involvement of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations in the smuggling operation.
“That is one of the angles being looked into by our Regional Office to determine whether the money came purely from the casino or if there are other sources of funds,” said Torres in Cebuano.
As of this writing, the Central Visayas Police Office and the MCIA have yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. / AYB, DPC