Court calling for counterfeit banknote users

Two women will face court today over the alleged use of counterfeit banknotes in the Pukekohe area.

They were taken into custody following a string of incidents that began on 25 September at a petrol station in East Tamaki when the driver of a stolen vehicle drove off without paying for petrol.

Counites Manukau South Area Commander, Inspector Joe Hunter says the vehicle involved was next spotted by Police on 17 November in Pukekohe.

“One of our Police units stopped the same stolen vehicle in a car park and found the two alleged offenders inside.

“The vehicle had an illegal, manufactured registration plate, and the plate of another vehicle attached.

“Our staff invoked a search of the vehicle and its occupants and found various items of drug paraphernalia and a small quantity of methamphetamine.

“We also found 41 counterfeit $50 banknotes, and five $5 counterfeit notes in the handbag of one of the offenders, as well as three counterfeit $50 banknotes in the glove box,” Inspector Hunter says.

Recently, Police have received a handful of complaints from retailers in the wider Pukekohe area, who had been presented with forged, or counterfeit banknotes.

The two women, aged 39 and 35, are scheduled to appear in the Pukekohe District Court today facing various theft, bail breach and possesses forged banknote charges.

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/NZ Police Public Release. View in full here.