A 53-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly printing counterfeit currency notes at a location on Kotte Road in Mirihana, police said.
The suspect, a resident of Pitakotte, was detained during a raid carried out by officers of the Western Province South Crime Division acting on information received, according to Ada Derana and NewsFirst.
Notes, computer and scanner seized
Police seized seven counterfeit Rs. 5,000 notes, six Rs. 1,000 notes and one Rs. 500 note in the raid — a combined face value of Rs. 41,500. Officers also recovered a computer, a scanner and several other items allegedly used in the production of the forged notes. NewsFirst reported that printing equipment was among the material taken into custody.
The suspect was due to be produced before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court on Sunday.
Recurring counterfeiting cases
Counterfeiting investigations have surfaced repeatedly in Sri Lanka over the past year, though most recent high-value cases have involved foreign currency rather than rupee notes. The Criminal Investigation Department’s Commercial Crimes Investigation Bureau detained a suspect over USD 600,000 in forged notes at a Colombo hotel in June, and a separate investigation in Galle led to an arrest in May.
Small-scale rupee counterfeiting of the kind alleged in Mirihana typically relies on consumer printing and scanning equipment, and police have previously warned traders to check the security features on higher-denomination notes.
Neither outlet named the suspect. Police have not said how long the alleged operation had been running or how many notes may already have entered circulation.
Sources: Ada Derana, NewsFirst.
