(CTN News) – A Russian tourist on a luxury vacation in Phuket with friends was arrested by Kamala police for exchanging counterfeit US dollar bills for Thai baht. The woman, Evgenia, 22, said she had no idea the money were phoney and that they had been given to her by her father.
The arrest occurred on July 28th, following a complaint filed by a currency exchange booth employee at a Big C store in Kamala, Kathu District, Phuket. The employee reported receiving counterfeit foreign cash between July 23 and July 27.
Russian Tourist Evgenia Arrested in Phuket Pool Villa with 32 Counterfeit $50 Bills
After conducting an investigation, authorities captured Evgenia at a pool villa in Kamala, where she was residing with three other Russian citizens. During the arrest, authorities seized 32 counterfeit $50 bills.
Evgenia informed investigators that her father had handed her 60 fifty-dollar bills for her trip to Phuket. On July 23, she traded four of these bills at the currency exchange booth and received 5,348 baht. She stated she had no idea the bills were fraudulent because the transaction went well.
The investigation began when the currency exchange booth staff discovered that three of the four bills Evgenia traded were counterfeit.
The employee had already taken a photocopy of her passport, which helped the authorities identify the culprit. Police uncovered 32 counterfeit bills mixed with legitimate currency among the group’s 75 fifty-dollar bills.
Authorities are currently examining if Evgenia and her companions are linked to an international criminal organisation that specialises in counterfeiting US cash, which has been circulating in tourist destinations.
Evgenia is charged with introducing counterfeit currency into the kingdom and attempting to use counterfeit currency, according to Section 240 of the Thai Penal Code.
Evgenia and her pals apparently travelled from Moscow, Russia, with a layover in Shanghai before arriving in Phuket on July 22nd. They stayed in a pool villa in Kamala before exchanging the counterfeit cash at the Big C store.
The investigation is currently underway to discover whether the counterfeit money were traded elsewhere and to identify any further victims.
Pol. Col. Somsak Thongkliang, Superintendent of Kamala Police Station, claimed that they are expanding the investigation to locate any missing counterfeit money and gather additional evidence.
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