Police in Mauritius are on high alert as they crack down on a foreign counterfeit network operating in the country. In a recent development, the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) apprehended a Cameroonian individual on Saturday, following a scam involving a staggering sum of Rs 1 million defrauded from a trader in Saint-Pierre.
But the chase is reportedly far from over, as the Grand-Baie CID has now made a move, arresting two Ghanaians accused of perpetrating yet another counterfeit scheme – this time, targeting a banker.
The bank employee at the Foreign Counter in a commercial bank’s La-Croisette branch, recounted that a French-speaking man approached him, requesting to exchange USD 900 into Mauritian rupees. The man was Sylvanus Akakpo (53 years old) from Ghana, working as a Security Consultant in his country. Akakpo allegedly handed the banker a USD 100 note and 16 USD 50 notes, which the banker examined under infrared light.
He discover the notes lacked essential Water Marks.
The banker discreetly alerted his supervisor and a police officer present in the branch. Before long, officers from Grand-Baie CID stormed the scene, swiftly apprehending the suspect and seizing the counterfeit notes.
Sylvanus Akakpo quickly disclaimed responsibility, attributing the fake notes to a friend residing in Trou-aux-Biches.
He revealed the name of his alleged accomplice, Seith Amon Assie (34 years old), who was promptly arrested. Assie also confessed to the crimes and shared information about the counterfeit network. The police are now pursuing leads to apprehend other suspects.
The network apparently targets specific individuals, convincing them that they can obtain dollars at a lower cost than the official exchange rate, sometimes as low as Rs 40, compared to Rs 45 at authorised currency exchange offices.
Their modus operandi involves initially providing genuine USD 100 notes to gain the victims’ trust, who then usually seek to purchase more currency.
Authorities have urged the public to be cautious and buy currency from accredited sources.
The investigation is ongoing, with the police determined to trace those behind these counterfeit notes, believed to be still in Mauritius.
Source: Le Mauricien
