Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: November 18 (EI) – The Ethiopian government has disclosed the arrest of eight foreign nationals for an alleged fake banknotes printing.
The arrest of the eight foreign nationals in connection with an alleged printing of fake currency notes followed after a joint operation of the Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and the Addis Ababa Police Commission, state-affiliated Fana Radio reported on late Sunday.
The joint force, which brought together intelligence and police officers, detained the suspects in the East African country’s capital Addis Ababa, FBC quoted Chief Sergeant Berihun Sileshi, crime investigator at the Addis Ababa Police Commission, as saying.
According to Sileshi, the suspected eight foreign nationals were detained along with 512 fake U.S. dollars, as well as original 455,200 Ethiopian birr and 1,900 U.S. dollars.
Police also disclosed the seizure of “several papers” that were cut to the size of the Ethiopian birr (ETB) and U.S. dollars, as well as chemicals and other materials used to print the fake currency notes in two residential houses that are rented by the suspects.
Police, however, didn’t disclose nationality of the arrested eight foreign nationals.
The Ethiopian currency, which is called Birr, is issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). Ethiopian banknotes are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 birrs, in which one U.S. dollar is equivalent to around 29 Ethiopian birr.
