Seven arrested over counterfeit banknotes

Police Commercial Crime Bureau officers (CCB) yesterday (September 13) arrested three Australian and four Taiwanese men for allegedly passing 2,400 counterfeit Kuwait Dinar (KWD) banknotes.

Police received a report from a bank in Central on September 10 that it received 300 suspected counterfeit 20 dinar notes.

Shortly before 2pm yesterday, CCB officers arrested an Australian and a Taiwanese man in the bank as they were allegedly ttrying to deposit 2,100 suspected counterfeit 20 dinar notes. Another Australian and two other Taiwanese were arrested outside the bank.

Two more men - one Australian and one Taiwanese - were arrested last night in a Kowloon hotel.

A search in a hotel room where two of those arrested were staying revealed a laptop computer, a printer and a number of counterfeit documents. Digital images of banknotes in various currencies and false documents were found stored in the computer.

All 2,400 20 dinar notes (equivalent to HK$1.1 million) seized in the bank, have been confirmed as being counterfeit and believed to have originated from the same source. They were of average quality and all printed by toner technique, which is equivalent to colour laser printing.

It is the first time that these kind of counterfeit banknotes have been found in Hong Kong.

The seven arrested people, aged between 51 and 62, are still being detained for further enquiries.

Police appealed to people that if they come into possession of such notes and believed them to be counterfeit, they should immediately inform the Police or call the hotline on 2860 5012.


Police Report No.4
Issued by PPRB

End/Friday, September 13, 2007.