Sixteen females have been arrested by the Ashanti Regional Police Command under what seems to be a new crime trend, in which the suspects deal in fake Ghanaian currency notes in the region. The suspects were arrested between the period of May 24 and 29, 2020 at separate locations in the region.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Godwin Ahianyo, Public Relations officer of the Command, the ages of the all-female suspects range between 17 and 40 years. They were arrested upon complaints against them and their activities in which about GH¢24,000 of fake currency of GH¢100 and GH¢200 denominations were retrieved from the suspects.
The modus operandi of the suspects, according to ASP Ahianyo, is to acquire the bigger GH¢100 and GH¢200 denominations of fake currency notes to engage in various business transactions in the region.
They are said to move from one shop to the other using the fake notes to purchase items from unsuspecting traders at centers such as supermarkets and other markets places which do not have currency detectors.
They also move from one shop to the other and present the fake GH¢200 or GH¢100 notes to purchase items whose values are negligible and take a change.
The police further disclosed that the suspects also take the fake currencies to unsuspecting mobile money vendors and make deposits into their mobile money wallets.
ASP Ahianyo stated that the Police Command has since taken measures to investigate the source(s)of the fake currencies, as well as create awareness among the general public, particularly traders and mobile money operators, to be cautious about transactions involving the issuance and acceptance of GH¢100 andGH¢200 notes for the purchase of items in smaller quantities.
Operators of shopping marts and supermarkets have, therefore, been advised to acquire fake currency detectors to safeguard the security of their businesses, and report any suspicious transactions to the police, to enable it strategise and nip the criminal activities of the syndicate in the bud.
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