POLICE in Bulawayo have smashed what appears to have been a
well-orchestrated fake foreign currency manufacturing racket, arresting a
teenage girl and her boyfriend who were allegedly printing the counterfeit
money.
Police expect to make more arrests as they say the
syndicate could involve more people.
During a raid at a house where the couple stayed in North
End, police recovered an assortment of fake high denominations of US dollars
and South African Rand stashed under a mattress.
Police suspect that several unsuspecting people could have
fallen prey to the fraudsters.
One of suspects, Chantelle Sibalwa (18) was arrested while
trying to use a fake US$100 bill to buy a box of chicken at a local food
outlet.
She led investigators to her boyfriend, Onesmus Zimunya
(33)’s house where
US$2 265 and R1 700 in fake money, an HP Diskjet printer,
bond paper, rulers and razor blades allegedly used in the commission of the
crime were recovered. It is suspected the fraudsters could have been changing
the fake money for real currency by buying stuff and getting change.
Cashiers at a leading supermarket last week reportedly told
their superiors they had turned away a number of people who were trying to buy
groceries with money they suspected was fake.
Police spokesperson for Bulawayo Inspector Abednico Ncube
yesterday, said more people could be involved in the syndicate.
“I can confirm that we received and are investigating a
case involving fake currency where equipment used to manufacture fake money was
recovered. As police we suspect this could be a syndicate involving others and
we expect to make more arrests as we continue with our investigations,” he
said.
“We urge people to be extra careful and particularly when
dealing with foreign currency. Illegal money changers are likely to be markets
for such fake currency and those found dealing in illicit activities will face
the full wrath of the law.” Chantelle and Zimunya are set to reappear in court
tomorrow facing charges of possession of articles for criminal use. They made
their initial court appearance on Friday and were remanded to tomorrow pending
trial. They were released on $1 000 bail each.
Sources said Chantelle was arrested on Thursday last week
after walking into a Chicken Inn outlet in the city centre and produced a fake
US$100 note intending to buy a box of two piecer chicken.
“She entered the shop just like any other customer and
ordered a box of two-piecer at Chicken Inn using a US$100 note, serial number
KB74984746B. Upon payment, an alert cashier noticed that the money was fake and
she immediately notified her shift manager,” said the sources.
A report was made to the police leading to Chantelle’s
arrest.
“Upon being quizzed by police, Chantelle initially gave
incoherent responses as she kept on changing her story before she eventually
revealed that her boyfriend was involved in the scam of manufacturing
counterfeit notes,” said sources.
She revealed to the police that her boyfriend had more fake
notes at his place of residence including the machine used to manufacture the
counterfeit notes.
Chantelle was taken to Bulawayo Police Station where
detectives were assigned to conduct further investigations.
The girl accompanied the detectives to Zimunya’s house
where they recovered US$1 200 comprising fake US$100 notes, four fake US$50
notes, 11 counterfeit US$10 notes, 13 fake US$5 banknotes and 17 fake R100
notes hidden under a mattress.
Police also recovered an HP Diskjet printer serial number
CN442175TZ, bond paper, rulers and razor blades.
Last month, an illegal money changer in Bulawayo was duped
of R23 000 by another illegal foreign currency dealer who had phoned him under
the guise that he intended to change US$ 1400 at a local hotel.
However, after the deal had been concluded, the victim
discovered that he had been given fake US$100 notes with the same serial
number. Chronicle
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