7 nabbed for selling fake gold bars in Santiago City

SANTIAGO CITY –– Seven people were arrested for allegedly selling fake gold bars to an engineer here on Sunday, police said.

The suspects were identified as Rico Callueng, Apolinario Basanes, Rodolfo Pascua, Jayson Pascual, Angel Lacson, Edelina Patio, and Arnold Villasis.

Police Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley regional police director, said they arrested the suspects during an entrapment operation in Barangay Villasis after a complaint from Engr. Felido Bautista.

Bautista said the suspects offered him a palladium bar worth P10 million. The palladium bar turned out to be fake.

The group allegedly demanded P1.5 million as an initial payment from the victim.

The authorities carried out an entrapment operation when the suspects asked for P10 million as full payment.

When arrested, the suspects yielded counterfeit money, a .45-caliber pistol, magazines, bullets, two mobile phones, and two fake Palladium bars weighing 217 kilos each.

The suspects will be charged with syndicated estafa and robbery-extortion.

LZB