Tema police busts fake foreign currency syndicate

Tema, April 22, GNA- The Tema Police have arrested five men and two women for possessing a quantity of fake US dollars and other items. They are made up of three Ghanaians- a man and two females, three Nigerians and a Canadian.

The Ghanaians are Korku Gborvia, 36, Irene Obeng, 19, student and Yaa Asantewaa alias Salomey 24, a trader.

The rest are Hakim Joseph 20-year-old, computer analyst, Kenneth Eze, student, 29, Prince Amaa Twumdu, 32-year-old businessman all Nigerians and William Chase aged 53, Canadian geologist.

Briefing newsmen on Thursday at Tema, Mrs Agnes Sikanartey, Tema Regional Police Commander said on Monday, April 19, the police had information that some people in a house at Tema community 18 were suspected to be dealing in fake currency.

She said the police under the command of DSP Asare Naami of Tema Community two, and Chief Inspector Asare Danso of community 18, mounted a swoop on the house.

The police retrieved two trunks filled with fake 100-dollar bills, forged documents bearing the mark of several financial institutions and Ministries.

Other items were eleven computers and accessories believed to be used to produce fake documents which include terrorist free certificates, Ministry of Finance Exchange Control Approval Order, certificate of foreign allocation valued 320 million dollars and cash movement authorisation certificate.

Also in their possession was 72 memos on debt reconciliation and swift payment all bearing inscription "from the desk of Abraham Asiedu; head of international operations, West Africa Monitory Control Board (WAMCB) and two swift telegraphic transfer documents all suspected to be fake, she said.

The Police Commander stated that the rest of the items seized were an internet antenna suspected of being used to facilitate 419 criminal activities and under it was 27 horsepower standby generator to the system while a Mercedes Benz salon car with registration number RT 1352-Y has been impounded.

Mrs Sikanartey said the genuineness of the fake US dollars is yet to be ascertained.

The police also detected that the suspects had lifted the pictures of some financial institutions and sensitive organisations of tops officials from magazines and journals unto forged documents to dupe people.

The suspects cut white pieces of papers and packed them neatly then sealed the upper with the fake dollars to outwit the unsuspecting public.

Meanwhile, they have since being arraigned before Tema Circuit court "B" and were remanded pending investigations.