Police bust a Cameroonian selling fake dollars

Police have arrested a Cameroon national and four Thais on suspicion of offering counterfeit old US dollar banknotes worth nearly six million baht for sale, police said yesterday.

Pol Maj Nattapon Rattanamonkonsak, a Crime Suppression Division inspector, said Tachanan Kunz, 48, wascaught at a Makro store car park in Bang Kapi on Tuesday evening.

Police also arrested Panisara Techa­isaradej, 47, Kittiphong Yanawattanapong, 43, Jean Jules Tenker, 45 ­­ a Cameroon national ­­ and Natchapattarapong Yampradit, 55, in Wang Thonglang district.

Counterfeit banknotes totalling $153,400 (about 5.3 million Thai baht) were found and seized, along with other items of evidence at an apartment in Bang Kapi district, police said.

Other items seized included 30 packs of paper coated with black chemicals, price lists for fake bills, 13 original copies of fake 100­dollar bills, 11 passbooks and six mobile phones, police said.

All the suspects confessed to selling fake dollar bills to people for years, police said. They were charged with having fake currency in their possession with intent to sell.

Pol Maj Nattapon said Thai police had sought help from the US Secret Service to help track down the gang.

Officers were later tipped off that a gang was selling US dollar bills in Bang Kapi district.

Pol Maj Nattapon said an undercover officer posing as a buyer contacted one of the suspects and arranged to buy some 100­dollar bills at 1,100 baht each.

Police pounced when Ms Tachanan met the undercover officer at the Makro and tried to hand over $30,000 in fake bills, Pol Maj Nattapon said.

Ms Panisara, Mr Tenker and Mr Kittiphong were later apprehended at a restaurant on a housing estate. They named Mr Natchapattarapong as the supplier of the fake bills.

He was found nearby and also arrested.