Alleged currency counterfeiting: Police arrest couple, ex-soldier, printer

Operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, have arrested a couple, an ex-military personnel and a printer, who allegedly specialise in producing fake currencies.

The police paraded the couple, aged 50 and 46; the ex-soldier, aged 62; and the printer aged 35, at the command’s headquaters on Friday in Lagos.

The Zonal Public Relations Officer, SP Tunni Ayuba, paraded the suspects on behalf of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the zone, Mr Olatoye Durosinmi.

Ayuba said that the arrest of the printer led to the arrest of the couple and the ex-soldier.

“Based on intelligence report duly approved by the AIG, Zone 2 Command, the O/C Monitoring Unit, CSP Tijani Taofiq, detailed DSP Adeyemi and his team to discretely investigate,” she said.

She said that the team swung into action on Feb. 3, and invaded the hideout of the printer on Lagos Island and arrested him.

The spokesperson said that the police also confiscated a printing machine allegedly used by the printer in printing security threads on counterfeit currencies.

Ayuba added that the police recovered cash of 300 million CFA and nine million Naira, both suspected to be counterfeit, from the printer.

The spokesperson said that all the suspects confessed to various roles in the alleged crime.

According to Ayuba, the printer confessed to have been in currency counterfeiting for over three years and named those he supplied fake currencies for circulation.

“His confession led to the arrest of the couple, who are partners in the crime,” she said.

She said that the confessions of the couple led to the arrest of the ex-military personnel.

Ayuba said that during the ex-soldier’s arrest, his house and premises were searched, and some suspected counterfeit local and foreign currencies were recovered by the police.

According to her, efforts are being intensified to apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate.