Fake money factory smashed in HK
( 2003-12-05 22:35) (Xinhua)
Hong Kong police netted tens of thousands of fake 10-HK-dollar coins in a
smash of a fake money factory in Tsuen Wan Thursday, according to a Friday's
government press release.
The Hong Kong police, together with their counterparts in China 's mainland,
mounted investigations in September this year into a counterfeit coin syndicate
which has been active in taxis, maxicabs, stores and newspaper vendor stalls for
about half a year.
According to the press release, at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday, police officers
spotted a man handing over a bag to another man who was suspected to be the
mastermind of the syndicate at the entrance to an industrial building on Pak Tin
Par Street, Tsuen Wan. The latter then boarded a taxi for Sham Shui Po where he
gave the bag to a third man.
At this juncture, the officers intercepted the two men and found about 4,000
suspected fake 10-HK-dollar coins in their possession.
A subsequent search on a unit in the industrial building found 24 molds and
three sets of heavy-duty machines believed to have been used to manufacture fake
coins. Some 15,000 finished products and about 45,000 semi-finished products
were also discovered.
A 55-year-old man suspected to be the technician for manufacturing the coins
were apprehended in the unit. Further raids on 19 other locations such as Sham
Shui Po and places mainly in Kowloon saw the arrest of three men and seven
women, netting 5, 000 suspected fake 10-HK-dollar coins.
All the arrested persons, including the mastermind, technician and
distributors, will be detained overnight for inquiries. Investigations by the
Commercial Crime Bureau are proceeding.
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