Cops nab member of gang selling fake peso bills in Malaysia

OUTGOING Cebu City Police Director Senior Supt. Mariano Natuel inspects the counterfeit peso bills seized from suspect Richard Uy. LITO TECSON/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—Police have arrested in a buy-bust operation a 65-year-old man found to be manufacturing counterfeit money that authorities said has spread to as far as Malaysia.

The operation also led to the confiscation of 3,000 pieces of fake 1,000 peso bills which police said are being sold by the gang operated by the arrested man for P200 to P250 each.

Chief Inspector Aileen Recla, who led the arresting team from the police’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB), identified the suspect as Richard Uy, a resident of Sitio Univille, Barangay (village) Kasambagan, Cebu City.

Uy was arrested in an entrapment operation just outside his residence in Barangay Kasambagan on Monday when he agreed to sell 20 pieces of 1,000 peso bills for P100 each or for a total of P2,000.

When the transaction was consummated, Recla said, they saw, through the open door of Uy’s house, a computer printing fake bills.

This prompted the police to enter and seize 20 counterfeit $100-bills, fake driver’s licenses, transcript of records and school diplomas.

Recla’s team also seized a computer, a printer and stamping machines.

The IDMB conducted a two-week surveillance on Uy after agents received reports about Uy’s activities from an informant who personally went to their office, Recla said.

Last year, Uy had been arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents for possession of counterfeit money but he was released after he posted bail. The case remains pending in court.

Senior Supt. Mariano Natuel Jr., outgoing chief of the Cebu City police office, said Uy’s market is Mindanao and Malaysia.

Natuel said the fake money would be brought to Malaysia to be changed into ringgit, the Malaysian currency. Uy’s operations appeared lucrative in Malaysia because Malaysia has no capacity to detect fake peso bills, according to Natuel.

Uy also admitted that the fake money was intended for abroad.

Uy faces charges of violating Article 176 of Republic Act No. 3815 outlawing the manufacture and possession of counterfeit peso bills.