7 “syndicate” members nabbed for fake checks

CEBU, Philippines - Police arrested seven alleged members of a syndicate involved in producing fake checks during an entrapment operation in Danao City on Wednesday.

Arrested were identified as Heracleo Alterado, Nilda Tacandong, Lorraine King, Zenaida Alabado, Ronie Primaco, Arlinda Mencidor, and Richard Uy, who has been arrested twice before for allegedly producing fake bills.

Elements of the Provincial Intelligence Branch and the Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Branch arrested the suspects separately.

Alterado and Tacandong, 65, were arrested in the 10 a.m. entrapment while King, who drove for the two, escaped but was intercepted an hour later in Liloan town driving a Kia Soul automobile.

The suspects, during police interrogation, confessed that they have companions.

The police later arrested Alabado at the parking area of a supermarket at the North Reclamation Area at past 3 p.m.

Primaco, a graphic artist, and Mencidor, were arrested along Sanciangko St., Cebu City while Uy was apprehended past 6 p.m. in his house in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Noel Gillamac, in a press conference, commended the arresting groups for the arrest of the members of what he calls a “syndicate.”

The operation was led by PIB’s Senior Police Officer 1 Renante Solante, who received the complaints from victims Nilda Tse and Rufina Go.

Tse and Go, who own a general merchandise store in Rizal St., Danao City, approached Solante at Danao Prosecutor’s Office where the police officer was filing a case.

The victims told Solante that they tried but failed to encash checks, which turned out to be counterfeits.

The police then arranged for an entrapment operation against the suspects.

PIB chief Rodolfo Albotra said they arrested Alterado and Tacandong after both tried to encash a fake check worth P186,000 at Tse Guim Store in Danao City owned by Tse.

Follow up operations led to the arrest of the rest of the suspects, whom Alterado and Tacandong confessed to be their cohorts in producing fake checks.

Uy, who has a pending case in court, was arrested in 2012 and 2013 with fake bills and machines allegedly used in making counterfeit money.

Uy denied having a hand in last Wednesday’s case and knowing the other suspects.

He alleged that he was inside his house when the police arrived to arrest him. He said they confiscated his laptop and machines used in his printing business.

The suspects alleged that a certain Eugene started the illegal business.

The complainants are set to press charges against the suspects.

Charges for falsification of private documents and large scale estafa, a non-bailable offense, will be filed against the suspects. — (FREEMAN)