JAKARTA (Xinhua): Police in the Indonesian province of Central Java recently busted a money counterfeiting syndicate that had allegedly distributed 3 billion rupiahs (US$201,600).
The provincial police arrested two married couples in the case in two separate operations.
The first couple identified with initials AD and NF were arrested in the province's district of Magelang on July 12, while the second couple with initials AP and IS were busted in the city of Kediri in neighboring province East Java on July 25.
"They are able to print fake bank notes amounting 19 million rupiahs (US$1,270) in one night," Central Java Police Chief Ahmad Luthfi told local media on Tuesday (Aug 2).
He added that police have seized fake bank notes amounting to 90 million rupiahs (US$6,000).
From the suspects police obtained information that they had used the fake money for transactions by mixing them with genuine banknotes.
Police managed to bust the counterfeit money syndicate following reports from members of the public on a counterfeit money transaction that took place in the Temanggung area.
He said that the police will cooperate with the country's central bank Bank Indonesia and the Financial Services Authority concerning the case.
"We're trying to minimise the spread of counterfeit money," Luthfi said.
