Al Qaeda in the Counterfeiting business?

There is some interesting news out of Manila Philippines. Over 2 trillion in fake US bank notes were seized there yesterday.

The first thing that springs to my mind is a possible Al-Qaeda connection. The group has followers in the Southern Philippines. 2 trillion dollars in fake bank notes would seem to indicate a rather large operation. I hope US and Philippine authorities check this out. Destabilizing US dollar would be a form of terrorism.

The strongest argument against this theory is that the bills are dated 1934.

The story can be found at- http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?
$2 trillion fake US bank notes seized in Manila raid
First posted 04:30pm (Mla time) June 15, 2005
By Joel Francis GuintoINQ7.net

TWO trillion dollars worth of fake United States Federal Reserve notes were seized during a raid at a Manila law office, police said Wednesday.

Ten suspects were rounded up during a buy bust operation at the Relova, Guanlao, and Rosal Law Office at the Ambre building in Manila's Malate district, said Chief Superintendent Ricardo Dapat, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Dapat identified the suspects as Reynaldo Llabres, Antonio Relova, Norlito Vilando, Sanelito Mangarin, Blecy Orlanda, Maximo Bacerdo, Yasin Jimlana Umabong, Alvin Apostol, Elenita Penaverde, and Manuel Martin.

Two steel boxes each containing 250 fake bank notes worth 500 million dollars were seized from the suspects. The boxes bore the marking "United States of America Federal Reserve 1934," the CIDG chief said.

The boxes also contained an assortment of spurious certificates and fake gold bullion that, combined with the fake bank notes, totaled two trillion dollars, he added.

A complaint was filed at the Manila Prosecutor's Office against the suspects for violating a penal code against the use of false bank notes and certificates.

The test buy last Sunday confirmed that fake US bank notes were being sold in the said law office located at the corner of Vito Cruz and Dian streets, he said.

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