Three arrested in counterfeit scam

 Three people have been arrested for allegedly counterfeiting and distributing local currency notes.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Three people have been arrested for allegedly counterfeiting and distributing local currency notes.Two of them, a man and his son, both residents of Ryabitana, Gahinga Cell in Gacurabwenge Sector, Kamonyi District, were arrested on Saturday after they were found with Rwf285,000, in Rwf5,000 fake denominations..They are currently detained at Kamonyi Police Station.The third man, believed to the prime suspect, is currently held at Muhima Police Station in Nyarugenge District.He is said to be the brains behind the illegal act and part of a gang that deals in counterfeit business in Kigali City.The arrests followed a tip-off from a shop attendant in Kamonyi trading centre that notified police after Nyakabwana used the fake notes to buy goods from his shop.District Police Commander, Supt Aimable Rukundo, who confirmed the arrest, noted that counterfeits are "rare cases in Kamonyi.”"We are carrying out investigations to arrest the whole ring. But these [counterfeit] are rare cases here; this is the only case reported since the beginning of the year,” Rukundo said.He outlined Gender Based Violence related cases as the most registered crimes in the area, adding that "though still high, they are on the decline..”Last year, 188 cases of counterfeit, including forged currencies, were registered.