Duo in the dock for peddling fake greenbacks

The Criminal Court in Dubai on Monday looked into a case of two African visitors referred by the Public Prosecution over the charge of attempting to defraud an Asian man with fake $120,000.

According to the Public Prosecution, the case dates back to last June, when the victim was looking for a partner to expand his business. He received a call from a woman from an African country expressing her consent to the partnership in his business. He was also informed that one of the woman’s relatives would meet him to figure out the details. Indeed, a few days later, the victim received a call from a person and they discussed the details of partnership.

The victim added that he received a suitcase containing $120,000 to begin the partnership, but on examining the money, it was found out that they were fake. He called the police and reported the incident.  

The police set a plan to arrest the suspects red-handed. Based on the police instruction, the victim asked the suspects to bring their share in the partnership in UAE currency. They police ambushed the suspects and arrested them.

The court decided to continue detaining the defendants on the custody of the case.

Earlier, three men implicated in a bid to sell fake $100,000 must see out their prison terms and pay a Dhs200,000 fine each, the Appeals Court ruled.

The African salesman, 24, visitor, 27, and unemployed countryman, 39, had the intention of circulating the counterfeit dollar bills worth Dhs367,200, prosecutors revealed in court on Mar.5.

They offered them for sale at Dhs223,000 (less than the market value). An Asian man (RF) accepted to purchase them. The trio presented him two authentic $100 bills to prove they had authentic dollars.

A source alerted the police about it. Police zeroed in on them as they were executing the deal on Jan.6. They resisted arrest and assaulted an Emirati lieutenant, warrant officer, corporal and Omani policeman.