Pattaya police arrest Uzbek national with counterfeit US$3,000
A swift police operation in Pattaya led to the arrest of a 31 year old Uzbek national today. He was caught red-handed with 30 counterfeit US$100 bills, triggering a wave of concern among local businesses.
“After a report from a currency exchange shop, which revealed that a foreign tourist had exchanged US$3,000 for Thai baht only to discover the bills were fake, authorities sprang into action,” explained Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyoo, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police.
The exchange shop provided CCTV footage and identification documents, which led police to the suspect’s hotel in central Pattaya, today, April 25.
Police Major Arut Saphanont, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, spearheaded the operation. At the hotel, police found two currency exchange slips and the counterfeit money hidden in the suspect’s shoulder bag.
The suspect, Iskandarkhuja Farkhodkhuj Akbarkhujaev, admitted that he had brought the fake US dollars from Turkey, planning to use them for personal expenses. He had been exchanging the counterfeit bills for Thai baht and foreign currencies to cover daily costs.
Akbarkhujaev was arrested and charged with possessing and using counterfeit US currency with knowledge of its fraudulent nature.
The total amount of counterfeit money found was US$3,000. Police have begun legal proceedings, and the case remains under investigation.
Pol. Col. Anek urged affected businesses to file complaints at Pattaya City Police Station, stressing the importance of reporting suspicious persons to the police for immediate inspection.
Currency exchange shops were also reminded to stay vigilant and cooperate with local police to prevent similar incidents, reported The Pattaya News.
In similar news, police arrested a 56 year old Israeli man in Pattaya on January 30 after he attempted to exchange counterfeit US dollars at a currency exchange shop in Soi Bua Khao.
The man presented 24 US$50 bills, hoping to exchange them for 40,488 baht. The staff became suspicious due to the unusual texture of the banknotes and a colour change in the printed US$50 number. After examining the notes, the staff confirmed they were fake and reported the incident to Pattaya Tourist Police.
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