Counterfeiting duo have sentence reduced by Dubai court

DUBAI // The jail terms of two men who tried to sell almost US$1 million of fake banknotes have been cut from three years to one by the Court of Appeal.

A M, 60, an Italian, and his friend J A, 42, from Cameroon, still have to pay a fine of Dh50,000 and will be deported after serving their sentences.

They were convicted of possessing $915,100 (Dh3.3 million) in counterfeit notes and attempting to fraudulently obtain Dh25,000 by selling them.

Policeman A A, 25, said that on April 7 last year an informant met the Italian, who said his friend had the notes but they were covered in black ink and needed chemicals to clean them.

“He told the informant that the chemical substance would clean the black paint without damaging the dollars, then agreed with him to give him the dollars in return for Dh25,000,” said the officer.

The two agreed to meet a few days later to complete the deal.

J A met the informant at the Delmon Palace Hotel in Al Rigga, where he took the Dh25,000 and gave the signal to his accomplice to place the fake dollars in the informant’s car.

The pair were then arrested. Police said both confessed they had tried to con the buyer.

“J A confessed that this was his activity and he had done it before, while A M’s role was to hunt for victims,” said the policeman.

The two confessed they were in possession of the money but denied trying to sell it.