Two taxi-moto operators yesterday dragged a man to Police, accusing him of trying to pay for his transportation using counterfeit money.

Jean Luc Kalisa, 24, had allegedly hired a motorcycle to transport him to downtown Kigali town.

His transporter suddenly seized him after noticing that the Rwf2,000 note he (Kalisa) had paid him was counterfeit.

With the help of a nearby colleague, the taxi-moto operators dragged Kalisa to Muhima Police Station, where he is held pending further investigations.

"When the suspect was brought to Police, he denied circulating fake money, but on being searched, he was found in possession of counterfeit money worth Rwf107,000,” Superintendent Modeste Mbabazi, Police spokesperson for the Central region, said.

"The noble act by the taxi-motor operator is an indication of how the general public can work together to curb crime,” Mbabazi said.

He added that the act also sends a clear message to criminals out there, that the public will not tolerate acts that violate the law.

"Police cannot be everywhere at the same time, but it relies on citizens through community policing,” Mbabazi said.

Police has fronted community policing as a steadfast way to curb counterfeit money and other economic crimes.

One of the goals of RNP is to fight counterfeit by sensitising the public, especially businesses about its challenges.

Though financial institutions have installed hi-tech equipment to easily detect fake money, the majority of the victims are small businesses who cannot afford the technology.

Making and knowingly circulating fake money is punishable under articles 601 to 604 of the Rwandan penal code.

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