A Cameroonian man has been arrested in an entrapment operation in Quezon City for allegedly engaging in “budol-budol” activities.

According to a report on GMA News TV’s  on Sunday, four people filed formal complaints against the foreigner—identified by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6 as Karl Heinz Akom Obi alias Jackson Smith, 29—prior to the police operation on Saturday.

According to a press release from QCPD Station 6, Obi met with the alleged victims on February 28 and convinced them to “invest” P250,000 with him to double their money.

They initially gave him P5,000, which he said he needed to buy chemicals to process the money. He left and came back with a white powder.

They then gave him the remaining P245,000, which he put in a yellow plastic bag and then into a black bag, and supposedly mixed it with the chemicals. After 30 minutes, the suspect removed the money from the yellow plastic bag and covered it again in more bags.  “He also instructed the victims to press the money with [a] heavy object for 10 to 12 hours before opening it,” the press release said.

After Obi called them again on March 1 to ask for more money, the victims opened the bag and found the money to be fake. They then called the police, who conducted the operation on Saturday.

A bundle of fake P1,000 peso bills was recovered from the Cameroonian’s possession. Obi declined to give comment. He will face charges of swindling and estafa, as well as of illegal possession and use of false treasury or bank notes and other instruments of credit.

GMA News