Ondo police uncover fake dollar factory, recover three bags of counterfeit notes
By Boye Oyeyemi
Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have uncovered a suspected counterfeit currency production centre in Odigbo Local Government Area, recovering three bags of fake United States dollar notes and arresting one suspect.
The successful raid followed a complaint by an Okitipupa businessman, Yusuf Nasiru, who reportedly lost $6,000, valued at N8.6 million, after being deceived by two men during a fraudulent foreign exchange transaction.
According to the victim’s report, two men approached him at his shop on October 25 to exchange dollars for naira, but they later returned counterfeit currency to him under the guise of canceling the deal.
Promptly responding to the report, officers from the Okitipupa Divisional Police Headquarters utilized intelligence gathering and technical tracking to trace the suspects to a hideout in Kiniso Village, near Ajue.
During the tactical raid on the suspected facility, police operatives apprehended one suspect while several accomplices managed to flee over the perimeter fence.
Following a thorough search of the premises, law enforcement officers recovered three bags packed with fake dollar bills alongside a small wooden box used in the operation.
Confirming the operation in an official statement on Tuesday, Command Spokesperson DSP Abayomi Jimoh revealed that the apprehended suspect is currently providing useful information to aid ongoing investigations.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Commissioner of Police Felix Ohagwu has ordered an intensified manhunt to track down the fleeing accomplices and cautioned the public to remain vigilant against unverified currency transactions.
