Japanese nabbed over counterfeit money in Cavite

By Ronron
January 23, 2008

A Japanese national was nabbed by police over the weekend in Cavite for transacting business using fake money.

But aside from that, police found out that 49-year-old Kiyoshi Nakanishi is also an unregistered alien in the country based on records culled from the Bureau of Immigration.

Nakanishi was apprehended at around 4pm last Saturday at a food chain restaurant inside a mall in Bacoor, Cavite during an entrapment operation, said SPO1 Bong Gerhem of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Division (CIDD).

The operation stemmed from a complaint of an individual who fell victim to Nakanishi’s illicit activity.

Gerhem said the female complainant had her first transaction with Nakanishi on January 18 in Makati City by exchanging her Japanese money with the suspect’s eight 1,000-peso bills. The Philippine denomination turned out to be counterfeit.

Because of this, the complainant immediately coordinated with the CIDD, prompting the conduct of an entrapment operation on the following day. The complainant made it appear that she had more Japanese money that she wanted converted to Philippine peso and US dollar.

During the entrapment operation, CIDD operatives recovered from Nakanishi 23 pieces of P1,000 bill, one piece of US$ 1,000 Federal Reserve Note, two pieces of US$ 500 Federal Reserve Note, 14 pieces of US$ 100 bill, three pieces of US$ 50 bill, and two pieces of US$ 20 bill.

Gerhem said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) had already confirmed last Tuesday that the P1,000 bills are fake.

The US Embassy, for its part, had initially found the US dollar bills to be counterfeit, although its official report is still expected tomorrow (Friday).

Gerhem said Nakanishi only said he belongs to a group that is engaged in said activity, but would not tell who is their source of the fake money. Among the supposed syndicate members are Arab nationals and other Japanese nationals, Gerhem quoted Nakanishi to have said.

He allegedly admitted to having victimized four persons already.

Nakanishi told Gerhem that he lives alone in the country and has not left since 2004. In fact, he is already good in speaking Tagalog, said Gerhem.

Since he failed to present any document to prove his identity, Gerhem said Nakanishi was referred to the Bureau of Immigration by the CIDD for record verification.

When the CIDD found out that Nakanishi is not included in the list of registered aliens in the country, he was turned over last Tuesday to the BID his proper disposition.

Gerhem said that the BID’s record on Nakanishi is just his departure from the country on May 4, 1997.

Meanwhile, with the BSP’s certification already in their hands, the CIDD will file today (Thursday) various charges against Nakanishi at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila City, Gerhem said.

The charges include violation of Article 166 (paragraph 1) of the Revised Penal Code (Forging of Treasury or Bank Notes or Other Documents Payable to Bearer, Importing and Uttering such False or Forged Notes and Document), violation of Article 315 (Estafa), and violation of Article 151 (Resistance and Disobedience to a Person in Authority or the Agent of Such Person).

Because of these cases, the CIDD asked the BID not to deport yet the Japanese national, Gerhem said./DMS