The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that a shocking case of undeclared large sums of cash was seized at Mactan-Cebu International Airport recently. 11 passengers attempting to board a private plane to leave the country were intercepted and detained on the spot, with the amount involved exceeding 450 million pesos. One of them attempted to bribe the police on the spot but was rejected, and three others were found to have criminal records.
Prepared to board a private plane for departure, hiding cash in 7 suitcases
According to the police report, this group was scheduled to board a private plane to Manila at 10:30 PM that night, having entered Cebu just two hours earlier. The 11 individuals claimed to carry only 3 pieces of luggage, but after X-ray scanning and manual inspection, the police counted a total of 7 suitcases filled with cash.
Preliminary statistics show the total cash amount as:
441,922,542 pesos
168,730 US dollars (approximately 9.34 million pesos)
1,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 7,100 pesos)
Totaling over 450 million pesos.
Bribery Rejected: Police disclose suspect attempted to "buy" security clearance
During the airport inspection process, a foreign suspect attempted to bribe the head of the Cebu police team with cash, asking "how much money would it take to get through," but was immediately rejected by the personnel on site. The PNP spokesperson emphasized at a press conference:
"This is exactly why we repeatedly stress to the public the importance of legally declaring cash. Our security team adhered to principles and rejected the bribery attempt."
Three suspects have criminal records, casino "prize certificate" documents questioned
The case has now entered an advanced stage of investigation. The police revealed that three of the foreign nationals are involved in case information provided by Interpol: two have outstanding arrest warrants, and one is charged with participating in international fraud.
What raised further suspicion among investigators was that, after being detained for 5 hours, the group finally produced a document claiming to be a "prize certificate" issued by a Cebu casino, intending to explain that the cash was legally obtained from gambling. However, the police pointed out that the issuance time and location of the document are questionable, and some of the cash was found in a "closed VIP room," not ruling out its use in illegal money laundering.
Funds movement restricted before elections, possibly involving money laundering and election interference investigation
Given that it is currently a sensitive period for elections in the Philippines, according to relevant laws, individuals are not allowed to carry more than 500,000 pesos in cash. The police are verifying whether the 11 individuals violated relevant regulations. Additional intelligence suggests that this batch of cash may be linked to election interference or major criminal ransom.
The Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) have jointly intervened in the investigation, with Interpol also providing background support.
Police trace the underlying money flow network and traces of transnational gangs
Currently, the 11 suspects are detained at the PNP Anti-Money Laundering Investigation Group's temporary detention center, undergoing comprehensive interrogation. The police emphasize that in the coming days, the focus will be on:
Whether the funds come from illegal gambling or kidnapping ransom
Whether it involves underground money exchange or cryptocurrency laundering
Whether there is cooperation from foreign forces or local "fronts" in transferring funds
This case may also be linked to the previous shocking national case of the kidnapping and murder of Chinese businessman Guo, becoming a key node in cracking transnational money laundering and ransom transfer networks.
