Two arrested in Sharjah over fake Dh500 notes

Sharjah // Two men have been arrested by Sharjah Police on suspicion of distributing counterfeit money. Brig Yousef Musa al Naqbi, the head of Sharjah CID, said the pair had been spending counterfeit Dh500 notes (worth US$136) and mostly targeting areas where there were no counterfeit currency detectors, such as petrol stations, grocery shops and nightclubs. He said the police first arrested LHA when he attempted to pay with a fake Dh500 note at one of the petrol stations in the emirate. The man, who apparently had recently lost his job, told officers that he and another man, ASS, had been spending the money, Brig al Naqbi said.

ASS told police they had bought 30 counterfeit notes with a face value of Dh15,000 (US$4,080) from a resident of another Arab country for the equivalent of US$1,000. "We have examined the notes and believe it was made by sophisticated means," Brig al Naqbi said. "It complies with many security features of our note and it would have been dangerous for it to spread." He said police had seized almost all the notes the two men were carrying and would now look to co-operate with the Arab country where they were made in an effort to arrest the maker.

Brig al Naqbi urged increased vigilance in handling money and recommended that businesses install counterfeit detectors. The two men have been referred to Sharjah Public Prosecution. [e-mail]