Those who may want to offer counterfeit currency in exchange for goods or services and report them to Police immediately in order to facilitate investigations. Police notes that although counterfeit currency is not a major threat, it can threaten the economy if not dealt with at an early stage.
Two incidents were reported on May 24 and May 25 where Police was able to apprehend two men suspected of spreading counterfeit currency in the economy.
The first suspect, Theoneste Twahirwa, 35, was arrested in Ngororero District, Hindiro Sector, with counterfeits worth Rwf8,000 and is currently held at Kabaya Police Station pending further investigations.
The other suspect, Alexis Rwamurindi, 26, was reported to Police when he tried to offer counterfeits at a bar in Nyagatare District.
Police immediately arrived at the scene and found him to possess counterfeits worth Rwf15,000. He is currently held Nyagatare Police Station.
The District Police Commander of Ngororero, Senior Superintendent Alphonse Zigira, urged the public, particularly those in the business sector, to watch out against such individuals and report them upon suspicion in order to enable timely response.
“Everyone should play a role in protecting the country against the negative consequences of using counterfeit money. Once a suspect is identify, immediately alert Police and we shall be there on time to ensure that those suspects are answerable for their actions,” he said.
“Counterfeits are not major problem in Rwanda – but we cannot afford to wait until they become a problem. We should work together to ensure that our development and economy are not hampered by this scourge.”
He also called upon the business community to install machines that detect counterfeit currency and to maintain interaction with police through community policing in order to tackle this challenge collectively.
Penal Code article 604 stipulates that any person who counterfeits or circulates forged currency is liable to a term of imprisonment between five and seven years and a fine between two times and ten times the value of the counterfeits.
RNP
UM– USEKE.RW
