{As part of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to fight counterfeiting and circulating currencies, two people were arrested yesterday in Kimironko of Gasabo Sector.}
One of the suspects, Theodore Twagizimana, was arrested red-handed at a forex bureau in Kimironko, where he was trying to exchange £650 in the denomination of 50 Euros, all fake.
According to Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu, the Police spokesperson in the City of Kigali, Twagizimana, who is currently detained at Kimironko Police station pending further investigations, the would-be victims, after noticing that the currency notes were counterfeit, they notified police.
“They kept him waiting for the service until police officers arrived shortly after and took him into custody,” Supt. Hitayezu said.
The second suspect, Hakizimana Justin, 23, was arrested in Inyamibwa, Bibare Cell where he was trying to clear a bill of electronic drinks with two fake notes of Rwf5, 000.
Hakizimana was apprehended by night patrols after the bar attendant informed them, and handed him over to police.
Although currency counterfeit is not a common phenomenon in Rwanda, Supt. Hitayezu emphasized that “individual vigilance” is essential in fighting circulation of fake currency, and added that real time information sharing is also crucial in quick response and arrest of culprits.
Article 601 of the penal code states that “any person who fraudulently counterfeits, falsifies or alters coins, which are legal tender in Rwanda or abroad, bills issued by the State and bearing its stamp or emblem, banknotes, authorized notes or any other related effects used in Rwanda or abroad, or any person who introduces or issues on the Rwandan territory bills or notes which are legal tender with knowledge that they are counterfeit or altered, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to seven years.
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