$25,000 in counterfeit money seized from Russian national in Orsha

September 13, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. A large batch of counterfeit dollars was seized from a Russian citizen in Orsha. This was announced today to journalists by the head of the 9th department (for the Vitebsk region) of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, Sergey Kolontayev, BELTA correspondent reports.

Information about the existence of a channel for the supply of counterfeit money from Russia was received by the department's employees in September. During operational-search activities on September 10, a citizen of Russia was detained in a car in a parking lot near a large shopping center in Orsha while selling counterfeit $1.6 thousand (in $100 bills) for real $500. During the search of his car, another $23 thousand was discovered. Thus, the total amount of counterfeit money seized, which was later confirmed by expertise, amounted to about $25 thousand. "This is one of the largest batches of counterfeit currency seized in Belarus this year," noted Sergey Kolontayev.

The seized money is distinguished by its high quality of manufacture: the banknotes have different serial numbers, imitation watermarks, and other security features. According to the head of the department, ordinary citizens, upon purchasing them, would not be able to distinguish them from real ones. The counterfeiters' bet was precisely on this, as the dollars were planned to be distributed among the population of Belarus through a network of currency dealers.

Based on the facts of selling counterfeit dollars and their storage for sale in particularly large quantities, 2 criminal cases have been initiated against the seller under Part 1 and Part 2 of Art. 221 of the Criminal Code of Belarus ("manufacture, storage or sale of counterfeit money or securities"), the punishment for which provides for up to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.-0-