The 11 people, including several foreigners, were caught at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Friday night after attempting to smuggle nearly ₱500 million in cash. According to PBGen. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the PNP, said the group arrived at the airport carrying many suitcases and was planning to fly to Manila using a private plane.
They initially declared that they were carrying only three suitcases, but when they went through the x-ray, it turned out that they had seven suitcases and images resembling money were seen. When the PNP Aviation Security Group opened them, a large amount of money was revealed, amounting to ₱441.9 million, $168,730, and 1,000 Hong Kong dollars.
The suspects include 6 Chinese, 1 Malaysian, 1 Indonesian, 1 Kazakhstani, and 2 Filipinos. They refused to say where the money came from, but after a few hours, someone came and showed certification from a casino in Cebu, saying that the money belonged to White Horse junket operator.
Authorities have noted that White Horse is one of two junket operators previously linked to the ransom money in the Anson Que case. According to Fajardo, the transportation of large amounts of money is suspicious, especially just days before the elections, and it is exclusively held by foreigners.
The group will face violation of COMELEC rules regarding carrying large amounts of money during this election period. The PNP is also investigating possible money laundering and immigration violations, after some of those caught were discovered to be carrying fake licenses, arrest warrants, and Interpol red notices.
