PNP foils try to transport undeclared P440M cash, 11 nabbed

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that nine foreigners and two Filipinos were arrested at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport for carrying several undeclared bags of cash a few days before the 2025 national and local elections.

PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said in a news conference that the 11 suspects were attempting to board a private plane to Manila at around 10:30 p.m. when they were intercepted during baggage inspection.

The suspects—including six Chinese nationals and individuals from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan—were found carrying seven bags instead of the declared three bags.

Further analysis from the X-ray machine and inspection from the Cebu Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP) revealed that the group was carrying cash of different denominations.

The total inventory of the cash added up to P441,922,542, USD$168,730 (around P9.342 Million), and HKD$1,000 (around P71,000).

AVSEGROUP also reported that one of the suspects attempted to bribe the chief of their Cebu operations.

“Tinatanong kung magkano ang gusto pero hindi nila kayang i-bribe yung ating mga personnel. Kaya kabilin-bilin na natin na i-declare lahat ng inbentaryo [at] ingatan, dahil ayaw nating ma-issue sa mga ganyang issue,” said AVSEGROUP director Police Brigadier General Christopher Abecia.

(They were asking him how much he wanted, but they couldn’t bribe our personnel. That is why we made sure to remind them to declare everything in the inventory and to take care of it, because we don’t want these kinds of issues.)

Based on initial information, the group was said to have arrived in Cebu around 9 p.m. to visit a casino and was supposed to return to Manila by 11:30 p.m.

While an investigation is still ongoing, the police said the suspects could face charges for violation of the Commission on Elections'  ban on possession, carrying, or transporting cash worth more than P500,000 days before the elections.

“So may mga agam-agam tayo na kailangan pa nating pag-aralan pa, maliban nga sa anti-money laundering, ay baka itong mga foreign nationals might be a conduit to be used to interfere or at least influence po yung ating eleksyon,” Fajardo said.

(We have suspicions that we still need to study aside from money laundering, as these foreign nationals might be a conduit to be used to interfere or at least influence our elections.)

“Ito pong pagkakahuli po natin ngayon at pagtutok dito sa mga malalaking pera po na pumapasok po sa mga junket operators po is a cause of national concern po. Ito nga po ay grave threat na sinasabi natin sa ating national security,” she added.

(This recent arrest and focus on the large sum of money being received by our junket operators is a cause of national concern. This is what we call a grave threat to our national security.)

Authorities also said the suspects tried to bribe the director of the PNP Region 7 or Central Visayas, as reported in Nico Waje's report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

A separate investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) against the suspects has also started for the possible violation of the immigration law, and falsification of documents against the two foreign suspects found with fake driver’s licenses.

As per Interpol, two out of the nine foreign nationals also had existing warrants of arrest, while one had a notice for fraud.

The BI also added that two of the foreign nationals did not have records of Philippine entry.

Abecia shared that while the suspects were unable to answer or provide documentation on the origins of the cash they were carrying upon their arrest at 10:30 p.m., they provided a certification from a casino at around 3 a.m. that declared the cash as winnings.

He said that they worked under the suspicion that it was a fake certification, and also raised concerns as the casino certificate was using the White Horse Junket.

The White Horse Junket was one of the two casino junkets said to have received and transferred ransom money paid by the family of late Chinese businessman Anson Que.

 “Titignan po natin ngayon at ititrace po yung origin po nitong pera na ito, dahil there is a possibility po na maaaring, commingled ang pera po na ito doon sa part po ng [ransom] money,” Fajardo shared.

(We are looking into and tracing the origins of this money, because there is a possibility that this money was commingled with part of the [ransom] money.)

“Hindi po biro itong napakalaking pera po na na-intercept po natin na questionable po yung origin, particularly na itong mga pera po na ito ay galing sa ipinasara na po nating junket operator,” she added.

(This big amount we’ve intercepted is not a joke as it had a questionable origin, particularly since this money came from a junket operator that we have closed down.) —Jiselle Anne Casucian and Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/LDF/BM, GMA Integrated News