Authorities at Mactan-Cebu International Airport arrested 11 individuals, including six Chinese nationals, on Friday night after they attempted to transport nearly half a billion pesos in cash without proper clearance.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed that the group was preparing to board a private flight to Manila around 11:30 p.m. when their multiple pieces of luggage, initially declared as three but later discovered to be seven, drew the attention of security personnel.
According to PNP spokesperson PBGen. Jean Fajardo, the bags were subjected to x-ray screening, which revealed the presence of large sums of money. Upon inspection, authorities found cash amounting to PHP 441,922,542, USD 168,730, and 1,000 Hong Kong dollars.
“Napakalaking halaga ng pera po ito,” Fajardo emphasized, noting that the suspects could not initially explain the source of the funds. Later, a representative arrived at the airport with a certification claiming the money belonged to White Horse, a junket operator linked to a major casino in Cebu. However, authorities remained skeptical of this explanation.
White Horse has previously been linked to the transfer of ransom money in the kidnap-slay case of businessman Anson Que, raising further suspicion. “Parang inihabol na lang nitong junket operator just to justify saan po galing itong pera,” Fajardo added.
The suspects include six Chinese nationals, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, one Kazakhstani, and two Filipinos. Several of them are facing additional legal issues: two were found with fake driver’s licenses, one has an outstanding arrest warrant, and another is flagged with an Interpol red notice for fraud.
Authorities are preparing to file charges against the suspects for violating the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) rules on the transport of large sums of money during the election period. The PNP is also investigating potential money laundering and immigration violations.
All suspects are now under the custody of the PNP Aviation Security Group (AVSEG) as the investigation continues.
