One-man fake bills operation trades in Malaysia market

WITH one computer, a printer and a stamping machine, Richard Uy supposedly managed to produce enough counterfeit 1,000 peso bills to distribute to clients as far as Malaysia, police said yesterday.

Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr., outgoing Cebu City police chief, said messages from Uy’s cell phone showed he had contacts in Malaysia who ordered him to produce counterfeit 1,000 peso bills.

These peso bills will be bartered with Malaysian ringgit, which will be used to buy commodities in some parts of Mindanao through the barter trade, Natu-el said.

“Someone from Malaysia will make an order and he will do it,” he said in Cebuano.

Natu-el said money changers in Malaysia aren’t capable of detecting counterfeit bills.

He said the 65-year-old Uy manufactured counterfeit bills on his own and this was confirmed by the suspect.

Last Monday evening’s raid at Uy’s home in sitio Univille, barangay Kasambagan in Cebu City marked the second time he was arrested for the same offense.

In November last year, Uy was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for possession of fake money but he was released after he posted bail.

Uy said he was not arraigned yet on his previous case. The case is still pending in court.

Uy appealed to the local media and the police not to take photos and footage of his face.

Uy denied allegations that the fake 1,000 peso bills will be used in the October barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

“No barangay officials and candidates asked me to print fake money,” Uy said in Cebuano.

An inventory done by police showed that Uy manufactured counterfeit 1,000 peso bills worth approximately P3 million.

The counterfeit P1,000 bills will be sold at P250 each to end users, Natu-el said.

Uy was arrested after he allegedly sold 20 pieces of 1,000 peso bills worth P2,000.

Also recovered from Uy were 20 pieces of counterfeit US $100 bills, a fake driver’s license, transcript of records and school diplomas.