Discovery of 10 Million Dollars in Counterfeit Currency in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province

The public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Yasuj announced the discovery of 10 million dollars in counterfeit currency in the Dena County of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. According to Mehrdad Karami, the prosecutor of Yasuj, this amount of counterfeit dollars was discovered 'during the inspection of a vehicle.' Mr. Karami also reported the arrest of two individuals in this case, stating that they have been sent to prison under temporary detention. As announced by the public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Yasuj, the arrested individuals are residents of Fars Province, and the vehicle was found in the Benestan village of the Pataweh district in Dena County. The ISNA news agency also reported, citing Mehrdad Karami, that investigations regarding this case are ongoing. In recent years, the discovery of counterfeit banknotes in Iran has increased, and the police have reported the arrest of individuals on charges of counterfeiting euro and dollar banknotes. In October 2016, the police commander of Fars Province reported the arrest of a 39-year-old German national and a 33-year-old Cameroonian who had 'defrauded' an Iranian of 200,000 dollars and 'intended' to print 800,000 dollars in counterfeit 100 euro banknotes. Ahmad Ali Ghodrzi stated that 16 bundles of 500 sheets of black paper for producing 100 euro banknotes and two metal cans containing powder and chemicals were discovered from these two individuals. In November 2015, Ahmad Karami, the head of the criminal investigation police in Qom Province, reported the arrest of an individual in this city on charges of 'counterfeiting' 100 dollar banknotes. Mr. Karami added that this individual was 'identified and arrested while converting counterfeit dollars into rials at a currency exchange' and holds 'foreign' citizenship. During searches of this individual, '22 pieces of 100 dollar banknotes and a significant amount of dirhams were discovered.' According to Article 1 of the Law on Punishments for Disruptors of the Economic System in Iran, disrupting the monetary or currency system of the country through large-scale currency smuggling or counterfeiting banknotes or importing or distributing them, whether domestic or foreign, is considered a crime and the perpetrator is punished according to the provisions of this law. If the actions mentioned are intended to 'harm' the Islamic Republic of Iran, the offender is sentenced to the punishment of 'mohareb' (enemy of God). In this context, the police of Fars Province reported the discovery of '800,000 euros in counterfeit banknotes' in Shiraz.