Police Arrest Four for Banknote Scam and Confiscate $1.2 Billion of Counterfeit Currency

Jakarta Globe, Farouk Arnaz, Apr 09, 2015

United States one dollar bills. Indonesian investigators confiscated counterfeit
Singapore, Canadian, Brunei, Hong Kong and American dollar bills to foil a
counterfeiting ring worth more than Rp 16 trillion. (Reuters Photo/Gary Cameron)

Jakarta. The National Police have arrested four people in Bogor and Tangerang for their alleged involvement in a money counterfeiting operation worth more than Rp 16 trillion ($1.2 billion).

Investigators confiscated counterfeit Singapore, Canadian, Brunei, Hong Kong and American dollar bills, as well Euro banknotes, according to Sr. Cmr. Victor Simanjuntak, the chief of the National Police’s economic crime division.

Bills from the Deustche Bundesbank (Germany’s central bank) and a range of out of print currency from British Malaya and Borneo, and the Dutch East Indies, were also found.

“We confiscated over Rp 16 trillion ($1.2 billion) counterfeit money in various currencies in West Java,” National Police spokesman Sr. Cmr. Rikwanto said on Thursday.

Police monitored the suspects — who have been identified as Tohir, Asep Abdul Fathi, Musa Suhi and Mad Mahdi  — for about a month between Feb. 25 and the end of March, before carrying out the arrests.

A computer, three printers, a cutter, and other equipment used to counterfeit the money has also been taken by police.

The four could each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.