Counterfeit gang busted in La Union;12 nabbed

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — Police busted a big-time counterfeiting syndicate here the other day with the arrest of 12 of its suspected members and the seizure of more than $1.5 billion in fake US dollars, bank notes and treasury bills, among other commercial instruments.

Senior Superintendent Samuel Diciano, La Union police director, identified the arrested suspects as Leonardo Napoles, 46, believed to be the syndicate’s leader; Rolando Aquino, 43; Ernesto Camannong, 50; Jun Crisnero, 35; Gloria Batario, 57; Raffy Singon, 49; Edna Bengzon, 41; Maria Henedina Jacualem, Gallardo Estacio, 56; Marietta Mejia, 57; Pepito Barnica, 45; and Lilia Estacio, 51.

Seven of the 12 suspects were nabbed in an entrapment jointly staged by the city police, Navy intelligence, Coast Guard and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in front of Gate 1 of the Philippine Ports Authority in Poro Point at noon the other day.

During interrogation, they revealed that their five other cohorts from Pangasinan were also here to sell a metal box supposedly from a company named American Dream Inc. containing 25 bundles of fake $1-million bills.

Before midnight, government agents arranged a second entrapment at Oasis Hotel here. The five syndicate members were arrested while they were trying to sell fake gold bullion and guarantee certificates supposedly from Wells Fargo Bank and Union Trust Company, New York.