Police in Mundri West County in Western Equatoria State arrested three South Sudanese men for allegedly selling counterfeit 64,000 US dollars in the market on Sunday.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, the police inspector in Mundri West, Major General Ishaqa Abboud William, said the three arrested men came from the capital Juba.
“The three men were arrested while selling fake US dollars to an Ethiopian trader in Mundri West. The issue of fake hard currencies, especially the US dollar, is rampant nowadays in the area. They come from Juba to sell the fake money here,” he said.
The police officer appealed to the residents of Mundri West to be cautious when buying US dollars from strangers in the market.
“Now the three men are under detention, we have opened a case against them, and investigations are now ongoing. They are South Sudanese nationals,” he said.
According to the South Sudan Penal Code Act Section (156), whoever counterfeits or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting any coin or note, commits an offence, and upon conviction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years and may also be liable to a fine.