Trio arrested for using counterfeit money to buy takeaway food in Al Ain

The three Arabs would use different phones to call several city restaurants and get them to deliver to obscure locations, pocketing the change in real money.

AL AIN // Three Arabs have been arrested for using fake Dh1,000 notes to pay for home delivery meals from various city restaurants.

The gang of two men and a woman were arrested after several reports from delivery restaurants.

Brigadier Hamad Ajlan Al Amimi, director of Al Ain Police, said that “upon receiving reports from different victims, an investigation team was formed”.

The team arrested the 43-year-old woman first and she confessed to counterfeiting Dh1,000 notes by scanning and printing them out at home.

Each night, the three unemployed gang members would order food and the woman would receive the delivery in obscure areas to avoid being identified and to prevent the delivery man from checking the counterfeit money.

Upon receiving the change in real money, she would flee to an unknown destination.

When police searched her house tools used in the crime as well as several phones under fake names were found.

A report has been sent to prosecutors.

Brigadier Al Amimi urged employees at shops, malls and restaurants to check notes carefully and to report any suspicious activity by calling the “Aman” service on 800 2626, sending an SMS to 2828 or by directly reporting the incident to police stations.