Supt. Romeo Santader, chief of the City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office, shows the fake bills recovered from Dexter Ledesma and Dante Marticio (right photo), who were arrested last Monday night.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Police arrested two men allegedly involved in proliferating counterfeit money in barangay Lorega, Cebu City.
Dexter Ledesma, 42, a resident of barangay Bacayan, was first arrested past 10 p.m last Monday. His alleged cohort, Dante Marticio, 42, was arrested in a follow-up operation
Several fake bills were recovered from the two men, said Supt. Romeo Santader, chief of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB).
Santander said Ledesma was arrested when a taxi driver complained that Ledesma used fake money to pay for his fare.
Eric Pedrosa, driver of Spider Taxi, said Ledesma was the same person who flagged him in D. Jakosalem Street and asked to be brought to Lorega.
Pedrosa said the passenger gave him P1,000 bill to pay the P155 fare reflected in the taxi meter.
Pedrosa said Ledesma told him to just give him P800 as change. 
Pedrosa said Ledesma had already disembarked when he noticed the fake P1,000 bill.
The taxi driver ran after Ledesma and sought help from barangay tanods, who eventually cornered the man.
Ledesma was later turned over to the police.
Police then conducted a follow-up operation against Marticio after Ledesma identified him as the source of the fake money bills.
Santander said the suspect’s targets are usually taxi drivers.
Several taxi drivers have previously complained of receiving fake money bills from their passengers.
The suspects would usually strike at nighttime when it is difficult for taxi drivers to determine a fake bill.
Seized from the two men were seven pieces of P200, six pieces of P500 and five pieces of P1,000 fake bills.
Santander said bond papers printed with P1,000 bills and P500 bills were also recovered.