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29 March 2024

Bid to sell $10 million fake bills foiled in Abu Dhabi

Published
By Wam

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Abu Dhabi Police on Sunday foiled an African gang’s attempt to sell and distribute $10 million in counterfeit currency notes, the largest seizure of its kind in Abu Dhabi since the beginning of the year. 

Colonel Dr. Rashid Mohammad Borshid, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Abu Dhabi Police, said, "The CID was tipped-off regarding the intentions of ‘A.A. Oroo’, a Cameroonian janitor.  He was living here illegally and intended to sell the extremely sophisticated counterfeit dollars for nearly $2.5 million."

Borshid also described how the CID sent an undercover agent as an interested buyer, who then arranged to meet with the suspect in one of the capital’s hotels to inspect the counterfeit money.

"The suspect arrived at the designated location and was caught red-handed as he opened the bag containing the counterfeit money. Much to the surprise of the suspect, we had set up an ambush prior to his arrival," he said.

Colonel Borshid noted that during interrogations, the suspect claimed that he was merely the middle man, and that the money did not belong to him. He claimed that he was acting on behalf of a fellow countryman whom he had met a month ago on ‘Tango’, and had traveled from another emirate in order to meet the owner of the counterfeit money. He confessed to agreeing to find a buyer for the money for Dh900,000.

"From the information provided by the first suspect, we were able to identify the owner of the counterfeit money alongside an additional suspect. Their details were circulated and followed-up on to bring them before the courts," he said.

The CID had succeeded in thwarting distribution of $14 million in fake $100 bills that were coloured with a black and white chemical substance. Operation Black Storm was carried out by police on the first day of Eid Al Adha in 2010.