May.28, 2010, 03:54 AM

Two airport officials were linked on Thursday to the foiled attempt to smuggle out bagfuls of cash worth P10 million from the country by a passenger bound for Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Melvin Matibag identified these officials in a press conference on Thursday as immigration officer Macaumbao Guro and acting Bureau of Customs examiner Mapunod Musor, both assigned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

According to Matibag, both Guro and Musor are relatives of Ansari Tago, who was caught by airport police on Wednesday carrying P10 million cash packed in two bags he was supposed to bring with him on a flight to Hong Kong.

Guro and Musor were caught on closed-circuit television helping Tago pass through airport security checks to be able to smuggle out the money, he added.

Matibag also said that the three might be part of a “bigger syndicate" engaged in money laundering, or the conversion of illegally-acquired cash—often in huge amounts—into various forms of legitimate money that can no longer be traced back to their questionable origins.

He said that Philippine currency in amounts of P10,000 or more can only be legally brought out of the country if it is covered by a clearance from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Without such clearance, bringing such amounts of Philippine currency out of the country is a criminal offense under Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).

All three suspects are currently facing criminal charges for violation of the AMLA.

Eight other airport employees from the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group have also been suspended for their failure to recognize through security x-rays the money Tago carried with him, he added.