Philippine police have announced that on May 10 they seized over 441 million Philippine pesos ($7.97 million) in cash that was being smuggled through one of the country’s international airports, ahead of the country’s midterm elections.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the successful seizure was part of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for ensuring clean and orderly elections on May 12.
The seizure at Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the central Philippines came just before the official end of the campaign period for the elections.
Police said that the officers, as part of heightened election security protocols, flagged multiple trolleys full of bundled cash in the possession of a group of two Filipinos and nine foreign nationals—six Chinese, an Indonesian, a Malaysian, and a Kazakh—during a routine X-ray inspection.
When asked why they were transporting the large sums of cash just days before an election, in violation of election laws, the group told police the cash was a result of their casino winnings.
However, the group was not immediately able to provide any documentation of the winnings. Police said the group later presented casino documents certified by a shuttered junket operator, White Horse Club, that has been linked to the kidnap-murder of Filipino-Chinese businessman Anson Que.
This triggered further suspicion from law enforcement.
The funds are now being investigated for links to ransom money paid by Que’s family. Police said investigators are also looking into the possibility that the funds were intended for election “interference or at least influence,” as well as immigration law violations.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the group had arrived in Cebu the morning of May 9 and took a white Toyota Super Grandia van to a local casino. They returned to the airport in the same vehicle and attempted to bypass standard security protocols.
Upon investigation, some of the suspects had fake driver’s licenses, while one of the Chinese nationals, Wu Song, had an active INTERPOL red notice for fraud with pending arrest warrants. Two others, Li Fei and Chen Hao, also had pending arrest warrants for various crimes.
Election Law Charges
The suspects remain in custody. Police said they will be charged with violation of election laws related to the unlawful transport of money during an election period.Police on May 11 said they will stop any attempts at espionage on Election Day.
“The Philippine National Police (PNP) has put in place measures against possible espionage activities tomorrow, taking no chances for foreign interference on election day,” the PNP said in a statement.
“The PNP encourages the public to remain vigilant and continue reporting any suspicious election-related activities as part of its unwavering campaign to ensure clean, honest, and peaceful elections,” they stated.
