Fake cash fallout: Couple busted after spending over $70,000 in counterfeit bills

A couple in Chongqing has been apprehended for counterfeiting money in their apartment and spending over half a million yuan ($70,000) in fake bills over five years, according to a report from Redstar News, a news portal based in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

The couple, identified as surnamed Zhang and Qin, allegedly had been running a counterfeiting operation in their residence for more than five years. They engaged in daily outings to various markets, targeting elderly individuals with poor eyesight to pass off the counterfeit currency for goods and receive genuine money as change.

Acting on a tip-off received in August of the previous year, police from the Wanzhou district in Chongqing initiated surveillance on Zhang and Qin. The couple's suspicious behavior, such as purchasing special anti-counterfeiting paper and specialized ink, raised concerns. Additionally, their consistent use of 100-yuan bills for small purchases and one of them keeping an alert eye on their surroundings during transactions added to the suspicion.

Zhang, the husband, would carefully observe the victims' reactions to their fake bills, immediately stepping forward to exchange the counterfeit money if identified, and avoiding that particular market in the near future. The couple would leave only when the market dispersed, displaying a high level of counter-reconnaissance awareness.

Due to the couple's vigilance, police surveillance typically started at 5 am, tracking the suspects in the morning and seeking out victims in the afternoon. After several days of surveillance, law enforcement officers gathered evidence, including fake currency samples and counterfeiting materials, confirming the use of computer printing and additional processing to enhance the authenticity of the counterfeit bills.

Following a comprehensive two-month investigation, involving interviews with about 100 victims, the police determined the couple's residence's location and conducted a search on Oct 25. This operation resulted in the arrest of Zhang and Qin, along with the seizure of counterfeit currency materials, two printers, and two computers.

The investigation revealed that between 2018 and 2023, the couple managed to spend over 500,000 yuan worth of fake bills across Wanzhou and neighboring areas, causing substantial losses to the local community. Zhang and Qin have been criminally detained by Wanzhou police on suspicion of counterfeiting currency.