NBI Seizes PHP 12 Billion in Fake U.S. Currency; Suspect Arrested

NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag and BSP representative Atty. Mark Fajardo examined counterfeit foreign banknotes and U.S. Treasury bills during a press briefing at the NBI headquarters on Friday, March 13, 2026, revealing a ₱12 billion seizure.

NBI Seizes PHP 12 Billion in Fake U.S. Currency; Suspect Arrested

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | March 13, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – In a significant victory against financial crime, the National Bureau of Investigation – Criminal Intelligence Division (NBI-CRID) has dismantled a major counterfeit currency operation, seizing an astounding Php 12 billion (approximately USD 206 million) in fake U.S. dollar notes and Treasury bills. 

The monumental bust culminated on March 11, 2026, with the arrest of a suspect in Pasay City, following a meticulously planned three-month investigation.

The NBI Criminal Intelligence Division successfully apprehended a suspect, resulting in the seizure of counterfeit U.S. dollar banknotes and other foreign currencies valued at an astonishing 12 billion pesos.

The operation, hailed by NBI Director Atty. Melvin A. Matibag as a “decisive blow against a multi-billion peso threat to our financial integrity,” involved extensive strategic surveillance and multiple undercover test-buy operations.

These crucial transactions provided irrefutable evidence of the suspect’s involvement in the large-scale distribution of counterfeit currency.

The apprehension occurred during a final, coordinated transaction at a Pasay City mall. NBI-CRID operatives, bolstered by the crucial expertise of technical specialists from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), moved in as the suspect received marked currency, arresting the individual in flagrante delicto (in the act of committing the crime). 

The subsequent recovery of the counterfeit U.S. Treasury instruments and banknotes underscored the massive scale of the illicit enterprise.

The arrested individual now faces inquest proceedings before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office for violating Article 168 of the Revised Penal Code, which pertains to the illegal possession and use of false treasury or bank notes and other instruments of credit.

“The seizure of a staggering Php 12 billion in counterfeit U.S. currency is a testament to the precision of intelligence-sharing with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” stated NBI Director Matibag. “This operation is not merely an arrest; it is a decisive blow against a multi-billion peso threat to our financial integrity. We remain relentless in our mission to dismantle these syndicates and protect the public from such massive-scale deceit.”