One man is in custody after several reports of counterfeit currency being passed at businesses in the Comox Valley.
There were several reports about the counterfeit in January which lead frontline officers to gather surveillance footage and ultimately identify their suspect.
The Comox Valley RCMP Bike Unit took conduct of the investigation and arrested the suspect on Jan. 20, 2021 – but they didn’t stop there.
The investigation culminated with the execution of a search warrant at a hotel room which yielded a small counterfeit operation including a printer, paper and some additional manufactured bills.
“When a business accepts counterfeit bills, they are not reimbursed by anyone and they lose all of that money,” said Const. Monika Terragni, Comox Valley RCMP media relations officer.
“This is particularly unfortunate during a time that small businesses are working hard to stay open through the pandemic. We appreciate the businesses who assisted with the investigation so the production and distribution of this counterfeit could be stopped she added.”
Fifty-year-old Pedro Cisneros is facing charges of making counterfeit money, uttering counterfeit money, possession of counterfeit money, and possession of instruments for counterfeiting.
For more information about Counterfeit Prevention, visit the Bank of Canada website.
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