Forged euros seized in Dubai

Dubai: Police have seized 12 million forged euros in the last 20 months in 36 different cases, according to a senior police official.

Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the Criminal and Investigation Department (CID) at Dubai Police, said yesterday that 54 suspects had been arrested in the 36 cases in which the 12 million forged euros were seized.

Brigadier Al Mansouri said the CID and the anti-economic crimes department foiled the distribution of 236,000 forged euros of the 500-euro denominations in the country.

Lt Col Salah Juma Bu Asaiba, director of combating crimes at Dubai Police, said in one of the 36 cases an African man was arrested while trying to use the forged money.

He said a taxi driver reported to Al Ghusais Police that an unidentified African man had paid the taxi fare with forged euros.

Lt Col Bu Asaiba said the suspect was arrested within a few hours and in his possession 300 forged US dollars 2,000 forged euros, in denominations of 500 euros, were found in his possession.The accused told police that he had hidden the rest of the forged money in his apartment in Sharjah in Al Nahda area.

Lt Col Bu Asaiba said the defendant entered the country in February last year on a tourist visa and he was staying here illegally.

Lt Col Bu Asaiba said the accused told police that he had got the money from an unidentified man of his own nationality.

Police said 236,000 euros were in 500 euro denomination notes.

“Money forgery crimes affect the national security of the country and people involved in these will face severe punishment,” said Brigadier Al Mansouri.