‘Fake’ Brazilian currency with face value of RM10 mln seized in Tawau

0

Zaini (second left) and his officers showing the Brazilian currency that is believed to be fake.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police made one of the biggest seizures of what is believed to be fake Brazilian currency (Brazilian Real) consisting of 1,000  notes in BR$10,000 denomination, totaling BR$10 million (about RM10.05 million), at the Tawau Ferry Terminal on Monday.

Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Zaini Jass said the currency was seized from an Indonesian man as he was about to board a ferry to Nunukan, Indonesia from Tawau at around 4 pm on August 5.

“Officers at the ferry spotted the 27-year-old man acting in a suspicious manner and, upon inspection, found a yellow box containing 1,000 notes of Brazilian Real currency in BR$10,000 denomination each.

“Further inspection revealed that some of the notes bear the same serial numbers, leading police to believe that the notes may be fake,” Zaini told a press conference at the state police headquarters in Kepayan yesterday.

According to Zaini, the Indonesian man claimed to have obtained the foreign currency from an individual in Surabaya.

“The Indonesian man had brought the foreign currency to Tawau to sell to a buyer for RM20,000.

“However, the ‘sale and purchase’ arrangement did not go through when the buyer only offered RM10,000 for all the 1,000 notes,” Zaini said.

The Indonesian man was apprehended just as he was about to return to Nunukan, Indonesia after the failed transaction.

According to Zaini, the exchange rate of BR$1 is equivalent to RM1.05, which would mean that the value of the seized 1,000 notes of Brazilian Real currency in BR$10,000 denomination would amount to RM10.05 million.

“Bank Negara was unable to verify if the notes are real or fake so we will be referring it to the Brazilian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to determine the authenticity of the notes,” said Zaini.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 489C of the Penal Code for possession of forged or counterfeit currency notes or bank notes.