NBI arrests, charges four persons with possession, use of 'fake' US dollar bills

Four persons have been arrested and charged with illegal possession and use of counterfeit United States dollar bills, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
The NBI identified those arrested in Angeles City last Jan. 19 and charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) as Joeylyn Castro, Virgilio Yalung, Zenia Andres and Marilyn Lucero.
It said the four suspects were charged with violations of Article 168, illegal possession and use of false treasury or bank notes and other instruments of credit, in relation to Article 166, forging treasury or bank notes on other documents payable to bearer, of the Revised Penal Code.
They were arrested during operations conducted by the NBI’s Special Action Unit (NBI-SAU).
The NBI said Castro and Yalung were the first to be arrested at a money changer outlet. “Seized from the subjects were seventy-eight (78) pieces of counterfeit One Hundred US Dollar bills with various serial numbers,” it said.
It said Castro and Yalung “tried to exchange the US Dollars but the money changer refused because the US Dollars were counterfeit.”
Thereafter, it said, Andres and Lucero were also arrested.
It added that the operations were conducted based on information that “a group of individuals were about to proceed to a money changer in Angeles City to exchange the counterfeit US Dollars into Philippine Pesos.”
“Thus, the NBI-SAU coordinated with the Payments and Currency Investigation Group, Office of the Assistant Governor, Payments and Currency Development Sub-Sector, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (PCIG-PCDSS, BSP), and the local authorities,” the NBI said.
“The operatives were able to arrange a meeting through an informant, where two (2) of the subjects would bring and use the counterfeit bills,” it added.