Two Omanis arrested in fake currency case

Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) busted a fake currency racket involving Omanis even as the investigators are trying hard to nail the unknown Pakistani national who sold fake Indian currency notes in the Omani market.

“We have arrested two citizens on the charges of forging and circulating fake currency of riyals,” a police spokesman said on Tuesday.

The police got a tip off that someone was trying to sell fake Omani riyals in the market. “We nailed to accused from Seeb suburb with fake currencies notes worth 16,750 riyals,” he informed.

“It seems that the two had created a network to circulate these fake currencies in local stores,” the spokesman said.

When the accused was arrested the police found the fake notes from the boot of his car. His interrogation led police to the second suspect, who was at a hotel in Muscat. “When we arrested him he had fake currencies notes worth 4,400 riyals in his possession,” he revealed. The police then raided the house used by the two in Mabelah area and found a camera as well as the other paraphernalia to make fake currency notes.

The currency was all in 50 riyal notes, the highest denomination.

“We also found forged government documents and identity cards, including some fake land deeds from the house,” he said, adding that all the fake documents bore name of one of the accused.

Last month some Omanis were caught up in fake Indian currency case when they travelled to India after purchasing Indian rupees from money exchanges in Oman.

A Pakistani national was caught on the CCTV footage at an exchange in Khaboura and the ROP are making efforts to get the suspect to Oman. According to police records, the suspect caught on CCTV footage had come to Oman for few hours, sold fake Indian currency notes and left the country.

The ROP have urged all citizens as well as residents to inform them if they come across any fake currency by contacting 9999.