Two foreign nationals from Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly running in a counterfeit currency racket in Addis Ababa.
After a tip-off from National Intelligence and Security services (NISS), Addis Ababa police raided two rooms the suspects rented from Amado and Bright Guest Houses – located in Kirkos and Bole Sub-cities, respectively, of the Capital.
The individuals were caught, red-handed, while counterfeiting currencies inside their respective rooms, said the police in a statement, adding they have been collaboratively running the counterfeiting scam.
Police also seized over 170, 000 birr and several foreign currencies along with many fake 200 birr bank notes, papers, liquid chemical, powder and other materials used in making counterfeit bills.
Meanwhile, Police in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia’s Eastern city, apprehended a man who allegedly has been making fake National Identity documents and distributing them “for terrorism purposes”.
The Police said, after receiving a tip-off from the public, security officers searched the suspect’s house in Sabian Kebele of the city and managed to catch him while making the fake documents.
Many fake ID cards of the Dire Dawa City Administration as well as Oromia regional state in the name of several persons were seized, according to the police.
They also recovered photos of individuals who were expecting to get fake IDs, fraudulent government documents, illegal stamps and other materials from the suspect’s possession.
Investigation into the case is still ongoing, said the Dire Dawa Police.
MG/abj/APA