Arrested Russian released on bail

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — The Russian national arrested for allegedly purchasing cellular phones using fake credit cards was released after posting bail of P20,000 last Thursday, police said.

Oquil Oquilov, 24, of Moscow, Russia was released on orders of Regional Trial Court Judge Edgar Garvilles, according to Police Station 1 commander Chief Inspector Adonis Rosales.

Oquilov was arrested last June 23, for violating Republic Act 8484 (Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998), after Lina Aguero of PO’s Marketing Digital Araneta Branch, complained to the police that the Russian national bought cellular phones, worth P29,990, from the establishment last June 21, using an allegedly fake Banco de Oro credit card. Aguero said Oquilov had wanted to buy another phone from them on June 23, allegedly using a fake Metrobank card when the latter was arrested.

Bacolod City Police director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said that aside from PO’s Marketing, representatives of AQ Optical and the PhotoLine in two big malls here, also positively identified Oquilov as the customer who allegedly used fake credit cards to purchase items from them.

De la Paz said Oquilov and his companions may be part of a syndicate operating nationwide, whose specialty is using fake credit cards to acquire the items they want.

The Bacolod City Police submitted the pictures of Oquilov to other police units in the country to warn other business establishments about his modus operandi, de la Paz said.

“It is possible that there are other foreigners in Bacolod City and nearby towns and cities with the same act,” he said.

Oquilov claimed he has two other companions from Antipolo town in Rizal province who gave him the fake credit cards, said de la Paz.

“This should serve as a lesson to credit card companies to improve their safety measures and such incidents will not happen again,” de la Paz added.