NAIA Customs men seize $10-B worth of fake dollars

An alleged member of a money-laundering syndicate based in the United States was arrested by Customs examiners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) the other day after he tried to smuggle some $10 billion worth of fake US federal reserve notes out of the country.

The suspect, Oded Avel, holds an American passport and claims to have been a resident of Los Angeles, California for the past 20 years, NAIA Customs collector Celso Templo told reporters yesterday.

Avel also said he was originally from Israel.

Customs sources said Avel was earlier charged with money laundering before a US court, according to the files of US customs, embassy and treasury authorities.

NAIA-Customs police chief Col. Esmeralda Saplala said that on Aug. 13 at 4:05 p.m., Avel was arrested by acting Customs examiners Tanggomay Cabib, Benito Bening and Dibagulun Sangca when the x-ray machine showed two metal boxes inside his luggage.

He was bound for Switzerland via a Swiss Air flight.

One metal box, according to a report filed by the Bureau of Customs with the Pasay City prosecutor’s office, was embossed with the words "American Dream Incorporated, Box No. A-9051000 D.P.D. No. 906, Series of 1995; Registered, Sealed and Secured, $10,000,000,000."

The other metal box was embossed with "American Incorporated, Box No. A-0000881D; PD No. 905 Series of 1995; Registered Sealed and Secured A.D.L. Property $10,000,000,000."

One box contained 20 bundles of fake federal reserve notes worth $1 million each, while the other box contained blank white bond paper, Saplala said.

Avel, according to the report, was immediately referred for inquest at the Pasay City prosecutor’s office for possession of fake treasury notes, which is in violation of Article 166 of the Revised Penal Code, and for violating Section 3602 of the Tariff and Customs Code as amended.