Counterfeit United States Dollars are in huge calculation in most African countries as hardly a month passes by without arrests. Tuesday morning, both Zambian and Zimbabwean authorities announced arrests involving huge sums of counterfeit notes.
In Zambia, police Tuesday arrested a 37 year old state security intelligence officer, suspected of being member of a larger group, for being in possession of nearly US $80,000 counterfeit notes.
Richard Nzala, a constable in the Office of the President, was arrested and detained by the Drug Enforcement Commission when he attempted to sell off the counterfeits to unsuspecting people, reports say.
John Nyawali of the Drug Enforcement Commission is today quoted saying that Nzala, is scheduled to appear in the Lusaka magistrate court this week, was found with a total of US$ 79, 900 in hundred dollar bills hidden in a bag he was carrying during his arrest.
He becomes the second security personnel to be arrested in recent months following the arrest of a Zambia Army soldier who was arrested for possessing over US$ 2.5 million dollars of counterfeit notes.
Zimbabwe fakes
In Zimbabwe, the state controlled Herald reported on Tuesday that a 35 year old man, Archibold Simbarashe Zulu, from Harare was nabbed over US$50 000 counterfeit notes recovered from a toilet at a stationery shop in the city.
Detectives, acting on tip offs raided a shop which Zulu was using as a hide out and found a bag full of fake notes amounting to US$50 000. The bag was found stashed in an empty box in the toilet.
At one time Zulu is said to have brought more than US$350 000 in fake notes which he also placed in the toilet for safekeeping.
In Zimbabwe, fake notes became a hit soon after the introduction of multiple currencies such as the dollar, pound and South African rand. Most shops were ripped off as it was difficulty to distinguish genuine note from fake ones.
Most shops have since invested in counterfeit detective devices.
