Total Value of Fake Money Over NT$120 Million 偽鈔竄全台 雲林警查扣面額1.2億元證物

Before the Lunar New Year, there were numerous reports of people receiving fake NT$1,000 bills. The Yunlin County Police Department investigated after receiving one such report, first capturing suspects that were using and selling counterfeit bills and then discovering the sources of the fake money. According to the police, the three suspects confessed that they purchased each counterfeit NT$1,000 bill for NT$1 from upstream suppliers, and then sold them for NT$5 each via online platforms.  

The table is covered with bundles of fake NT$1,000 bills. They all have the same serial number, HR484268XD. Many people around Taiwan reported receiving fake NT$1,000 bills with the same serial number before the Lunar New Year holiday. The Yunlin County Police Department investigated. The police first captured three suspects in Pingtung and Kaohsiung who were using and selling the counterfeit currency.

Liao Chih-ming, Chief, Huwei Precinct, Yunlin County PD: “We confiscated nearly NT$10 million's worth of counterfeit money in the Kaohsiung region. We asked about the upstream suppliers, and found that they were in New Taipei City and the northern region. Task force personnel then traveled directly from Kaohsiung to the northern region and New Taipei City on the same day.”

According to the police, the three suspects confessed that they purchased each counterfeit NT$1,000 bill for NT$1 from upstream suppliers, and then sold them for NT$5 each via online platforms. The police then located the upstream suppliers in New Taipei City and Taipei, arresting three more suspects and confiscating 17,000 fake NT$100 bills, 2,000 fake NT$500 bills, 124,000 fake NT$1,000 bills, and 1,000 fake NT$2,000 bills. The total value of the counterfeit money was around NT$120 million.

Wu Wen-cheng, Spokesperson, Yunlin District Prosecutors Office: “We brought back 20 people for questioning and confiscated counterfeit currency with a total value of NT$120,882,000 and related evidence. We applied to a court to detain a male suspect surnamed Liao and five others for violations of the Penal Act of Offenses Against National Currency, and the court granted permission.”

The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office said the seized money included NT$1,000 bills with the serial number "HR484268XD" and NT$100 bills with the serial number "CQ281880VJ," which have already started circulating around Taiwan. The suspects were in the midst of making a new NT$100 bill version, but it hadn't yet started circulating.

桌面上擺滿一疊疊千元假鈔，流水號都是HR484268XD，農曆過年前許多地方陸續傳出民眾收到同樣號碼千元假鈔，經過雲林警方的追查，先在屏東、高雄拘提使用者與販售偽鈔的3名嫌犯。

雲林虎尾分局分局長廖志明表示：「高雄地區就查扣到將近1千多萬元的面額偽鈔，當下詢問上游供應商，是在新北北部地區。專案小組人員同一天馬上就從高雄，就直接到北部跟新北地區。」

警方表示，3名嫌犯供稱，這些假鈔都是以每張1元向上游購買，再透過網路平台，以每張5元賣出，經警方追查源頭，分別在新北、台北查到上游供應商，再拘提另3名嫌犯到案，查扣百元假鈔1萬7千多張、500元假鈔2千多張、千元假鈔12萬4千多張、2千元假鈔1千多張，總共假鈔金額達1億2仟餘萬。

雲林地方檢察署發言人吳文城指出：「帶回20人到案說明，並查扣面額合計1億2千88萬2千元的仿真偽鈔及相關證物。（其中）廖男等6人，涉嫌《妨害國幣懲治條例》，向法院聲請羈押，法院陸續羈押裁定獲准。」

雲林地檢署表示，查扣假鈔中除了有目前流竄全台的「HR484268XD」千元偽鈔與「CQ281880VJ」百元偽鈔，嫌犯正在大量製作新版百元偽鈔，所幸新版百元偽鈔還未流出市面就警方查扣，後續將繼續追查是否有其他流向。