Oyo State Police Command has arrested six suspected counterfeit currency dealers and recovered 89 fake €100 notes valued at €8,900, equivalent to about N14.15 million, in Ibadan.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday.
Olayinka said the suspects were allegedly involved in the possession, circulation and production of counterfeit euro notes.
According to him, the operation began during a township patrol by police operatives around the Labo-Wesley area of Ibadan at about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
He said the officers stopped three men travelling on a motorcycle during the patrol and conducted a search on them.
“A search conducted on them led to the recovery of 89 pieces of suspected counterfeit €100 notes, totalling €8,900.
“The circumstances surrounding the involvement of each suspect are being subjected to further investigation,” he said.
The police spokesperson said further investigation led to the suspects allegedly confessing to the offence and taking investigators to the location where the counterfeit currency was reportedly obtained.
He added that a forensic search of the premises led to the discovery of additional exhibits suspected to have been used in the production of the fake notes.
Olayinka said three more suspects were subsequently arrested, including the person allegedly responsible for producing the counterfeit currency.
“The suspects are currently in police custody and cooperating with the investigation. They will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation,” he said.
The police spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the officers involved in the operation for their vigilance and professionalism.
