MANILA, Philippines – A raiding team found P790,000 in cash stashed inside a secret room during a surprise inspection at the Manila City Jail on Saturday, September 29.
Members of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the Manila Police District, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted Oplan Linis Piitan, formerly called Operation Greyhound and Oplan Galugad, in search of illegal items inside the dormitory of inmates of the Manila jail on Saturday.
Jail Senior Inspector Jayrex Bustinera, Manila City Jail spokesperson, said the raid was conducted inside the Dormitory 11 and 12 which houses an estimated 1,200 inmates, many of them members of the Sigue Sigue Sputnik Gang.
The raid, aided by PDEA K9 units, did not yield illegal drugs but authorities found cash stuffed inside large plastic water and soda bottles inside a room which was supposedly no longer used and had a sealed doorway.
Prior to the discovery, the raiding team asked a Sigue Sigue Sputnik Gang member about the sealed room. He told them this was done to keep inmates from escaping. Police then knocked down the door and found around 7 big plastic containers filled with money.
The team leader of the operation assigned female members of the BJMP to account the money, which was estimated at around P790,000.
Bustinera said the source of the money would be investigated, whether it came from illegal transactions or just funds raised by the Sigue Sigue Sputnik gang members. Record books were found along with the money, which showed a list of items bought from the small sari-sari store inside the jail.
Authorities also recovered some sharp weapons, paddles, and other illegal electronic gadgets while sifting through the belongings of the inmates.
– Rappler.com
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