Four persons who paid for frozen chicken with two counterfeit hundred-dollar bills were arrested in Barangay Tibagan in this town by responding policemen Friday afternoon (July 17).
In his report to Bulacan police director Col. Lawrence B. Cajipi, Police Capt. Rolando B. Guzman, Bustos acting police chief, identified the arrested suspects as Albert Rosales Mendoza, 61; Rommel Mata Llarena, 53; Roberto Rosales Gallardo, 61; and Milagros Velasco Zapra, 52.
They are believed to be acting as a "budol-budol" (fraud through hypnotism) gang.
Guzman said that at around 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, they received a telephone call from a concerned citizen saying that persons believed to be members of a "budol-budol" gang were trying get away in a white silver Toyota Corolla being chased by village watchmen from different barangays in Bustos.
Bustos policemen immediately responded, using their handheld radio to call the roving patrols in the area, and flagged down a speeding white silver Toyota Corolla with plate number WEB-741with the suspects in it.
The victims said the suspects hypnotized them into handing over a load of frozen chicken in exchange for $200, in two $100-bills.
"Nang makaalis na sila, saka lang namin nakita na fake ang binayad nilang dollar, kaya agad naming ini-report sa barangay officials (It was only after they left that we saw that the dollars they paid were fake, so we immediately reported it to barangay officials)," one of the suspects said.
The arrested suspects and the recovered frozen goods, as well as the vehicle used in their activities, were brought to the police station while criminal complaints for estafa (deceit/swindling) under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code were prepared for filing in court.