SINGAPORE: Two men will be charged in court on Tuesday (Sep 30) with using and possessing counterfeit S$50 (US$38) notes.
The two Bangladeshi nationals, aged 33 and 35, were arrested after the Singapore Police Force (SPF) received several reports of counterfeit S$50 notes being used at two separate locations in Geylang between Sep 22 and Sep 25, SPF said in a news release on Monday.
The police highlighted two cases where such notes were used that purportedly involved the two men.
“In the first case, the 35-year-old man allegedly used a S$50 note suspected to be a counterfeit to purchase food at a restaurant along Lorong 22 Geylang,” the police said.
“In the second case, the man, together with the 33-year-old man, allegedly used two S$50 notes suspected to be counterfeits to pay for services along Lorong 16 Geylang.”
Through ground enquiries and with the aid of closed-circuit television images, the police established the identity of the 35-year-old man and arrested him on Sep 28.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the 33-year-old man was involved in the second case, and he was subsequently arrested.
He was found in possession of another 12 S$50 notes that were believed to be counterfeits. The notes were seized as case exhibits.
The men will be charged in court on Tuesday with the offences of using as genuine counterfeit banknotes and possessing counterfeit banknotes.
Those who forge or counterfeit currency or banknotes face up to 20 years in prison and a fine.
Those who use as genuine forged or counterfeit currency or banknotes face the same maximum punishment, as do those who make or possess instruments or materials for the forging or counterfeiting of currency or banknotes.
Those who possess forged or counterfeit currency or banknotes can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined.
“Members of the public are reminded to be vigilant when handling currency notes,” SPF said.
Genuine Singapore notes have distinctive security features that include watermarks, security threads and a specific paper texture, they added.
Those who suspect that they have received counterfeit currency should call the police at 999 immediately; note down identifying features of the person or people who presented the suspected counterfeit currency; limit the handling of the suspected counterfeit currency and place it in a protective covering – such as an envelope or folded paper, to prevent further tampering; and hand it over to the police immediately, SPF said.
