Passenger held for attempting to bring in fake banknotes

A man who allegedly tried to bring almost Dh268,000 in fake banknotes through Dubai Airport is being held by police.

DUBAI // A man who allegedly tried to bring almost Dh268,000 in fake banknotes into the country is being held by police. According to the WAM news agency, the man, who had travelled from an unspecified country, was stopped on arrival at Dubai Airport after customs officers became suspicious. His pockets were searched and he was found to be carrying Dh26,8000 in various denominations. The man was handed over to Dubai Police while the notes were tested by the Forensic Science and Criminology Department.

Tests showed that all but a Dh100 bill were sophisticated forgeries. Saleh al Mugahwi, senior manager of the passengers operations department at Dubai Customs, said: "Dubai Customs makes great efforts in the field of combating all kinds of smuggling, among which smuggling fake currency which reflects negatively on the UAE's economy." * WAM