The Police Command of Zone 2, located in Onikan, Lagos, has apprehended a couple, comprising a former soldier and a printer, on suspicion of manufacturing counterfeit currency.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the suspects, including the couple aged 50 and 46, were presented to the public by the police at the command’s headquarters in Lagos on Friday.
Tunni Ayuba, the Zonal Public Relations Officer representing the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for the zone, Mr. Olatoye Durosinmi, stated that the arrest of the printer led to the apprehension of the couple and the former soldier.
Ayuba mentioned that on February 3, the team took action by raiding the printer’s hideout on Lagos Island and apprehended him based on an intelligence report authorized by the AIG.
The spokesperson added that the police seized a printing machine allegedly used by the printer to produce security threads on counterfeit currencies. Furthermore, they recovered a sum of 300 million CFA francs and N9 million, both suspected to be counterfeit, from the printer.
Ayuba stated that the printer admitted to engaging in currency counterfeiting for over three years and disclosed the individuals to whom he supplied fake currencies for circulation.
“His confession led to the arrest of the couple, who are partners in the crime,” she added.
She also mentioned that the admissions made by the couple resulted in the apprehension of the former soldier, who purportedly had some suspected counterfeit local and foreign currencies in his possession when his residence was searched.
She added that endeavors are underway to capture the remaining members of the syndicate who are on the run.