The circulation of fake Rs. 5, 000 and Rs. 1, 000 currency notes in the country had increased in the recent past. Therefore, people need to be alert of fake currency notes when they transact business during the forthcoming New Year festive season, Kurunegala Senior SSP R.A. Ranasinghe said.
SSP Ranasinghe told a meeting of Grama Niladharies of the Kurunegala District that Police Headquarters has already informed police stations countrywide to educate the public about fake currency notes and people should inform the nearest police station about the culprits and the places where fake currency notes are printed using computers and printing tools.
He said almost 158 suspects with 4,780 fake currency notes had been taken in by police in the past two years from different parts of the country. Whenever a fake currency note is received by someone, the particular fake currency note should be immediately handed over to the nearest police station and it should not be exchanged or used to do any transactions as it is strictly illegal as, the user would be arrested on the spot by the police.
On March 21, a suspect with 11 fake currency notes, each to the value of Rs. 5,000 was arrested by Tangalle police officers in the Weeraketiya police area. The printing machines used to print the fake currency notes too were seized and the suspect was taken into custody along with the fake currency notes, SSP Ranasinghe said.