The arrested suspects were identified as Dionisio Dimaandal, the alleged leader of the group and resident of Tupaz street, Doña Rosales Subdivision, Novaliches; Lean Umpar of G. Araneta street in Quezon City; Yolanda Alerta of Kaunlaran Village, Malabon and Renato Lorenzo of San Vicente, Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong presented the suspects to the media yesterday. He commended the WPD-Intelligence and Investigation Division for a job well done.
Superintendent Edgar Danao, WPD-IID chief, said Lorenzo was found in possession of 22 bundles of fake $100 bills while eight bundles of $100 bills and 794 pieces or about P79,400 were found from the three other suspects.
The arrest of the suspects stemmed from reports that the suspects were behind proliferation of fake dollars in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
When Danao’s group coordinated with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank confirmed that a number of fake US bills have indeed been circulating in the market.
The men of Superintendent Segundo Duran Jr., with the help of BSP personnel, swooped down on the hideout of the suspects in Sta. Cruz last Monday leading to the arrest of Dimaandal, Umpar and Alerta.
When interrogated, the three confessed that Lorenzo was also part of the syndicate.
A follow-up operation was conducted the following day in front of a fastfood chain in Bocaue that resulted in the arrest of Lorenzo and seizure of bundles of fake dollars.
When checked, BSP currency specialist Wilfredo Villaluz Sr. certified that the recovered US currencies were indeed counterfeit.
Charles Stuab, agent-in charge of the US Secret Service, said the seized items lacked several security features that can only be found in genuine bills.
Stuab is an expert in the detection of counterfeit bills.
Danao said the suspects will be charged with illegal possession of counterfeit US dollar bills before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office.