Some $30,000 in fake Canadian cash seized by border officers in Mississauga arrived from China and was destined for Nova Scotia along with a package of bogus security strips resembling the legitimate strips found on real Canadian money, police say.
Canada Border Services Agency officers intercepted the counterfeit currency on Jan. 27 at the international cargo processing facility in Mississauga, the agency said in a news release Wednesday morning.
Officers seized about $30,000 in fake $10, $20, $50 and $100 Canadian bank notes, according to border officials.
Earlier the same month, on Jan. 9, border officers at Mirabel International Airport in Quebec intercepted a package containing counterfeit holographic stickers that resembled the security strips found on Canadian cash, authorities said.
The goods seized in both cases had been shipped to Canada from China, the CBSA said, and were destined for the same address in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.
Border officials then reported the seizures to Nova Scotia RCMP, who continued the investigation and along with other law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at a Glace Bay home on Feb. 11.
“At the home, officers seized holographic stickers, approximately $70,000 in counterfeit currency, electronic devices, a rifle and other items,” Canada Border Services Agency officials said in the news release.
The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Nova Scotia RCMP’s commercial crime section with assistance from the National Anti-Counterfeiting Bureau.
“Unfortunately, counterfeit money is in circulation across the country,” said RCMP Cpl. Mitch Thompson, of the commercial crime section. “When printed on polymer, some fake bills may look real if you don’t pay attention to the security features embedded in legitimate currency.
“In Canada, it’s an offence to knowingly use or possess counterfeit money,” Thompson continued. “And if you unknowingly accept counterfeit cash as legal tender, you can’t be reimbursed; you’re on the hook for the loss. Being familiar with the security features of genuine bank notes will help you spot counterfeits at a glance, protecting yourself from fraud.”
(Cover photo: Canada Border Services Agency X)
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