African couple with counterfeit dollars remanded

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

An African couple who were arrested on the charges of having possessed more than 450 counterfeit US Dollar notes in their possession was ordered to be remanded till 1 January by a Colombo Court.

Lodging a complaint with CID, Inspector Nadeeka Tharanga Silva of Special Tasks Force (STF) informed that they had received information that a foreign couple could be arrived at a five-star hotel in Colombo with counterfeit notes.

The suspects Hurgue Marcial a Cameroon national and Toure Aichaou a Mali national were arrested by STF while they were arriving at the hotel and seized more than 450 counterfeit 100USD notes. The STF further seized a stock of blank papers (44,200) with were same size as the Dollar bill (US$ 100). The STF further found two digital safe lockers hidden inside the car.

Producing two suspects before Colombo Fort Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne, the CID said it was conducting further investigations to locate the printing machine which was believed to have been used in printing the counterfeit notes. The prosecutors further charged that the suspects had allegedly committed punishable offence that comes under section 478 (C) and they could be indicted in the High Courts. The prosecutors moved Court that the suspects be remanded since they had committed a serious offence.

Having considered the seriousness of the offence, the Magistrate ordered that the suspect be remanded till 1 January. The Magistrate further directed the Police that officials of foreign embassies of the suspects be informed over the incident.