MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Tuesday it apprehended four people in Central Luzon for illegal possession and use of counterfeit banknotes.
In a statement, NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor identified the suspects as Joeylyn Castro, Virgilio Yalung, Zenia Andres and Marilyn Lucero.
Law enforcers conducted an operation against the suspects after receiving 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," the NBI said.
Authorities nabbed Castro and Yalung in Angeles City after they attempted to exchange their fake US dollars at a money changer, the agency said.
Castro and Yalung revealed the source of their counterfeit money, leading to a follow-up operation in Bamban, Tarlac where authorities apprehended Andres and Lucero, according to the NBI.
The bureau said it seized 78 pieces of counterfeit US$100 bills from Castro and Yalung, and 78 pieces of fake US dollar bills and 2 bundles of counterfeit P1,000 from Andres and Lucero.
The suspects will face charges of illegal possession and use of false bank notes, the NBI said.
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