Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police has arrested a man for allegedly distributing counterfeits worth one million shillings.
Ali Musoke was arrested on Wednesday by police officers at Mini Price as he tried to hoodwink a mobile money operator, Shafic Amanyire.
At around 10 am, Musoke approached Amanyire’s mobile money shop disguising as a client. He asked the mobile money operator to deposit over 250,000 shillings.
As Amanyire was about to send 250,000 shillings, Musoke asked to increase the money to 500,000 shillings. He withdrew the genuine money he had given Amanyire and exchanged with counterfeits he was holding in his hands.
Deputy Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, said as Musoke was leaving the mobile money shop, Amanyire became suspicious of the money.
The operator saw him rush to leave and he screamed attracting Mini Price police intervention.
Musoke was apprehended with other counterfeits all totalling to one million shillings.
Owoyesigyire said Musoke will be charged with distributing counterfeits. Police added that he was being interrogated to reveal his accomplices.
Police have warned public to careful while exchanging money since counterfeits are normally distributed towards, during the Christmas and New Year’s festivities.
Last year police arrested two men at Opportunity Bank’s Kamwokya branch for supplying US dollars and UK counterfeits worth $1800 and £1100 respectively.
Police identified the counterfeiters as Ali Kasujja and Alfred Mugabe. The suspects were residents of Mpererwe in Kawempe Division.
They were arrested after a teller at Bank sensed notes and noticed they were counterfeits and upon testing with a machine, she proved they were fake.
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