CEBU, Philippines - Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas have arrested a 64-year-old man in Univelle, Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City for counterfeiting peso and dollar bills.
Richard Uy, resident of the said barangay was arrested during an entrapment operation yesterday afternoon which resulted in the seizure of about P500,000 worth of fake peso and dollar bills.
Law enforcers also seized several computer units and printers used by Uy in his illegal activity during a subsequent service of the search warrant issued by the court.
The NBI operatives confiscated P250,000 fake bills in P500 and P1,000 denominations and $3,000 US dollars. There were also several fake Malaysian Ringgit and Indonesian Rupiah, bogus land titles, vehicle registration and government receipts.
Uy admitted printing fake money and vowed to face the criminal charges in court. In fact, he requested the NBI operatives to immediately file the case for him to be able to post bail.
“Tubagon ko man ni tanan. Ang ako lang nga i-file dayon ang kaso aron ko makapiyansa (I will answer all the charges. I am only requesting that the case would be filed as soon as possible so I can post bail),” Uy told The FREEMAN.
Yesterday’s operation stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Neil Herrera who allegedly received a fake bill. NBI Agent Bernard dela Cruz said they conducted surveillance operations and traced the fake bill to Uy.
Dela Cruz said they conducted a test buy on Uy last Saturday and was able to buy six pieces of fake P500 bills at P85 per bill. An undercover agent ordered P100,000 from Uy which was supposed to be delivered yesterday.
According to dela Cruz, the suspect agreed but increased the price from P85 to P90 per P500 bill because the order was allegedly rush.
While waiting for the scheduled delivery date, NBI operatives applied for a search warrant against Uy before the Regional Trial Court for violation of the Article 168 of the Revised Penal Code.
Using the fake bills previously bought by the undercover agent as evidence, RTC Branch 9 Judge Alexander Acosta granted the application for search warrant and issued one against Uy.
The NBI operatives served the search warrant yesterday afternoon immediately after Uy was arrested in the entrapment operation. Uy was caught in the act of receiving the P9,000 marked money for the P100,000 fake bills ordered by the undercover agent.
Dela Cruz said the operation yesterday was supposed to be a simultaneous but the two other subjects were able to flee.
The NBI is now conducting further investigation to determine whether the fake bills will be used by unscrupulous politicians in the upcoming 2013 elections.
Uy however said that it was only recently that he started printing fake money. In fact, he is still on the process of research to perfect it.
Although he admitted having into counterfeiting government documents like land titles and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) receipts. He also admitted having arrested in 2002 by members of the Talamban Police Station for also making falsified documents.
The case however did not prosper because of technicality. Uy said the court quashed the search warrant because his address was wrong.
The NBI has already coordinated with the monetary board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as well as with the US Homeland Security because of the fake dollars.
A criminal complaint for violation of the Article 168 otherwise known as illegal possession and use of false treasury or bank notes and other instruments of credit will be filed against Uy today at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office. (FREEMAN)