Saudi Arabia warns against tampering with banknotes

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has warned against tampering with its currency, saying offenders face tough jail and financial penalties.

Saudi public prosecution said that intentionally altering the features of the money in circulation by disfiguring, tearing up, damaging it in any way or reducing its weight or size is punishable by jail terms ranging from three to five years in prison and fines varying between SR3,000 to SR10,000 or one of both penalties.

"The term money mentioned in the legal system pertaining to forging money, means coins and banknotes of different denominations circulated inside or outside Saudi Arabia,” it added in a statement.

Currency forgery or circulating fake money in Saudi Arabia is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison with hard labour and fines of up to SR100,000.