Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket

[webfact]

Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket
Phuket Gazette


Phuket Immigration officers contacted Immigration officers in Bangkok, who moved in and made the arrest. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- A Pakistani accused of passing counterfeit notes in Phuket was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after police identified him from CCTV images taken along the road from Karon to Patong.

Imran Haider, 30, exchanged counterfeit notes representing 1,400 Kuwaiti dinar in return for 148,000 baht at a foreign currency exchange booth in Karon on December 28.

“The staff at the booth said they examined the notes and they looked fine, but when they rechecked them at close of day, they realized they were counterfeit and called us,” said Karon Police Superintendent Weerawat Jantarawichit.

Police traced Mr Haider to his hotel in Patong by piecing together CCTV images of him as he rode his motorbike from Karon to Patong.

“We saw him enter a hotel, and we went there to investigate,” said Col Weerawat. “Staff at the hotel gave us his name and told us he had checked out already.”

Armed with an arrest warrant, Karon Police contacted Phuket Immigration, who in turn notified immigration officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport at about 10am yesterday.

Those officers discovered that Mr Haider was in the airport and already checked in for an 11am flight to Pakistan.

They rushed to the departure gate, found him and searched him. In his backpack were clothes similar to those seen worn by him on CCTV, and 219,420 baht.

When presented with the arrest warrant, Mr Haider acknowledged that he was the person named on it, but denied the charges.

“He said that two Indian men gave him the money,” said Col Weerawat. “He had photocopies of the first page of each man’s passport. We’re investigating the men now.”

Mr Haider was returned to Phuket at 9pm last night to face charges of passing off counterfeit currency.

“Anyone who believes they have received counterfeit money should report it immediately to the Karon Police,” Col Weerawat advised.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Pakastani-arrested-for-passing-counterfeit-notes-in-Phuket-23145.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-01-01

[LivinginKata]

He must have been surprised when they arrested him. Checked in for his flight out of Thailand, must have thought he was free and clear. Amazing work by the BiB.

[sawati]

No finger pointing??

[lee b]

Excellent work by the police, i bet this guy does not have a smile on his face now, oh i'm nearly there oh no ive had it ! I hope they lock him up for many years.

[andreandre]

Police traced Mr Haider to his hotel in Patong by piecing together CCTV images of him as he rode his motorbike from Karon to Patong.

Thats the storyline right there, big brother will get you..more and more crimes here being solved directly because of CCTV.

[chiang mai]

Job well done.

[dabhand]

Phuket law enforcement on a roll.

Scamming taxi drivers the other day, counterfeiters today...... Jet ski operators next?

Excellent work BiB!!

[angsta]

Amazing? They had his passport details, hotel name and he took a flight in the airport approx 10kms away. Hardly Sherlock Holmes.

[MMarlow]

Amazing? They had his passport details, hotel name and he took a flight in the airport approx 10kms away. Hardly Sherlock Holmes.

There's always one, isn't there?

[Paangjang]

He must have been surprised when they arrested him. Checked in for his flight out of Thailand, must have thought he was free and clear. Amazing work by the BiB.

Not exactly amazing work. Very very easy policing when you have all the cctv to do it for you. Although surprised the bib did actually figure out how to do their job... Nice work lads. Did they not get to keep the cash as a reward for doing their job?

[Paangjang]

Amazing? They had his passport details, hotel name and he took a flight in the airport approx 10kms away. Hardly Sherlock Holmes.

There's always one, isn't there?

Come on though, wasn't too difficult to watch him on the telly then phone the airport was it. Really? Well done police for doing your job

[MMarlow]

Not exactly amazing work. Very very easy policing when you have all the cctv to do it for you. Although surprised the bib did actually figure out how to do their job... Nice work lads. Did they not get to keep the cash as a reward for doing their job?

There's another!

[osiboy]

"armed with an arrest warrant ", <deleted> is that about ? , just go and arrest him <deleted> , talk about inefficiency !

[Blindside]

No finger pointing??

Maybe they will wait till they have the two Indian guys and get them to point at each other!

[Smiles]

He must have been surprised when they arrested him. Checked in for his flight out of Thailand, must have thought he was free and clear. Amazing work by the BiB.

Not exactly amazing work. Very very easy policing when you have all the cctv to do it for you. Although surprised the bib did actually figure out how to do their job... Nice work lads. Did they not get to keep the cash as a reward for doing their job?

Give credit when credit is due.

There are some good cops out there.

You do not need to show your sour comments even when some cops did what they are suppose to do!

[IrishIvan]

Pakistan tourists lol. Snatching bags and passing counterfeit notes just this week. These quality 'tourists' are always getting caught with bags of meth at the airport too

[JoeThePoster]

The staff at the booth said they examined the notes and they looked fine, but when they rechecked them at close of day, they realized they were counterfeit and called us, said Karon Police Superintendent Weerawat Jantarawichit.

Of course, there's absolutely no chance the notes could've been switched during that time, yes.

[stoli]

Great job by the Immigration officers. Well done!

[Carl64]

No finger pointing??

it cant be true then.

[jacko45k]

The staff at the booth said they examined the notes and they looked fine, but when they rechecked them at close of day, they realized they were counterfeit and called us, said Karon Police Superintendent Weerawat Jantarawichit.

Of course, there's absolutely no chance the notes could've been switched during that time, yes.

Come on, changing 1400 KD must be regarded as a bit of a concern, it is US$5000.

Yes, they have a stock of 'fake notes of the world' ready for such an opportunity.

[PlastikbinLina]

Police traced Mr Haider to his hotel in Patong by piecing together CCTV images of him as he rode his motorbike from Karon to Patong.

Thats the storyline right there, big brother will get you..more and more crimes here being solved directly because of CCTV.

It's a good thing and it's troublesome. Some innocents may get mixed up in something they had no part in. George Orwell's pescient work 1984 forewarned it but not to the extent it has developed.

[Archie Pelago]

Amazing? They had his passport details, hotel name and he took a flight in the airport approx 10kms away. Hardly Sherlock Holmes.

Nowhere in the article does it say the BiB got his passport details before they managed to trace him to a hotel using CCTV footage, so it is still good police work.

And you might want to check a map (as well as read the article properly) - Suvanabhumi Airport is slightly more than 10km away from Phuket.

I'm pretty sure I know who isn't Sherlock Holmes now...

[Arif Khalil]

Yes no finger pointing the guy should have enjoyed actual holiday season before going home with over 200,000 Baht... that makes is fishi the fortunate two Indian guys with their PP details available looks ISI's work to implicate the sober Indians :) good God no farang involved in cheeep leeech activity

[steelepulse]

What's the story on the two Indians? It's not like Pakistan and Indian citizens like each other.

>>“He said that two Indian men gave him the money,” said Col Weerawat. “He had photocopies of the first page of each man’s passport. We’re investigating the men now.”

[Costas2008]

"Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket"

Is it politically correct to call a Pakistani......Pakastani????????

[HerbalEd]

Amazing? They had his passport details, hotel name and he took a flight in the airport approx 10kms away. Hardly Sherlock Holmes.

Don't be such a spoilsport. You failed to recognize all the work piecing together all the footage from different CCTVs along the route he took from bank to his hotel. May not be as romantic as Sherlock Holmes ... doing the fundamentals of police work seldom is. Meanwhile they got their man.

Edited January 2, 2014 by HerbalEd

[HerbalEd]

"armed with an arrest warrant ", <deleted> is that about ? , just go and arrest him <deleted> , talk about inefficiency !

It's tf "about" basic human rights and not being able to arrest someone without due cause. And what "inefficiency" ... they got the guy didn't they?

[HerbalEd]

"Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket"

Is it politically correct to call a Pakistani......Pakastani????????

It's called a typo. Get over it.

[Naam]

real (not fake) Kuwaiti Dinars are available as collectors items. they were legal tender till Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 and the Kuwaiti Central Bank was raided. after that the notes were declared null and void even though they were used in Kuwait to make payments as long as the Iraqi occupation lasted.

i'm very sure that the Pakistani "gentleman" used the above-mentioned real worthless notes.

[uptheos]

"Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket"

Is it politically correct to call a Pakistani......Pakastani????????

I guess spelling a country's name correctly, isn't the Phuket Gazette's strong point.

'A Booth' couldn't tell if $5,000 worth of KD was real or not......yeah right.

“The staff at the booth said they examined the notes and they looked fine, but when they rechecked them at close of day, they realized they were counterfeit".............they scrutinize a 100 USD or 50 GBP as they're not 100% sure, so I really don't believe the story about it 'looking fine'.

Edited January 2, 2014 by uptheos