Police in Kamonyi District are holding three men in connection with counterfeiting and circulating currency notes.

Pangrasi Hangimana, 29, Innocent Mutabazi, 34, and one only identified as Nkuruzino, 29, were arrested separately following investigations.

According to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP), Andre Hakizimana, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson for the Southern Province, the arrest was sparked by information they got about people in Kamonyi who were circulating fake currency.

"Through investigations and on a tip-off from members of the public, we first arrested Mutabazi and Nkuruzino on November 15 in Rugarama Cell of Rugarika Sector. They were at the time found in possession of fake notes amounting to Rwf20, 000, in Rwf5, 000 denominations,” Hakizimana said.

"The two suspects became cooperative and disclosed Hangimana as their supplier, and through an operation conducted jointly by the District Police Units of Kamonyi and Nyarugenge, he (Hangimana) was tracked and arrested Thursday morning along Nyabugogo-Kamonyi road,” he added.

Hangimana was in July arrested over similar charges and had been released on bail.

"We are still investigating to arrest all those that could be connected to this, we suspect there is more fake money in circulation from this group, which investigations will as well prove. Currency counterfeit is a crime that we give due attention in fighting it as a high impact crime,” he noted.

He appealed to telecom banking stations and owners of small businesses, the most targeted, to be vigilant and thoroughly check the currency notes they receive, and be quick to inform police whenever they encounter such cases.

It is said that dealers mostly target mobile banking dealers to deposit the fake money on their personal SIM-card accounts, especially in dark hours or try to buy commodities where they are given genuine money as balance.

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