Door-to-door counterfeit dollars

They counterfeit US dollar and Philippine peso bills in bulk, sell them for a fraction of the actual currency value, then deliver the fake cash from Cebu to Manila using courier services.

This is the modus operandi uncovered by police yesterday of a counterfieting gang operating in Metro Manila, its outlying provinces and Cebu.

The counterfeiters’ operations range from Cebu to Metro Manila and nearby provinces, police said.

Supt. Ramiro de Joya Jr., who heads the Office of Special Concern of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Intelligence Group, presented to the media two of the suspected counterfeiters arrested by police.

The suspects were identified as Pepito Palabay, alias Francisco Dancel, and Moises Ricafrente, of Bulacan and Quezon City, respectively.

Palabay and Ricafrente were nabbed by the intelligence agents at 5 p.m. on June 11 at the Food Plaza of the Ali-Mall in Cubao, Quezon City.

The operations were conducted in coordination with representatives of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) led by Rufino Atienza Jr., who also led the simultaneous operations made by the PNP in Lapu Lapu, Cebu City.

A fake $100 bill is being sold for P600 while counterfeit P500 bills are peddled for P140 each.

De Joya said the suspects were engaged in the large-scale production and sale of counterfeit US dollars and Philippine peso bills.

Ricafrente said the fake currency bills were shipped to him via the LBC courier service by a certain Mar Mayuela from Cebu City.

In Cebu City, police arrested Marcelino Mayuela, 62, and Noel Caballero, 27, a driver and resident of Sikatuna Street, Cebu City.

Also nabbed in another operation were Mayuela’s wife, Sespeniana and his son Michael.

Seized evidence includes 55 counterfeit P500 bills, 300 counterfeit $100 bills; a brown Nissan Sentra with license plate PLZ 809; marked money in the form of two P1000 bills bearing serial numbers SN-AC57387 and BJ 393461; an official LBC receipt with number A4087180 addressed to Ricafrente at 93-G Cubao Quezon City; a driver’s license and a cellular phone SIM card.

Police said several more fake P500 bills amounting to millions, computer sets and several pieces of machinery believed to be used in the printing of counterfeit bills were also seized.