How fake travelers cheque lands man in prisons

When Okpala Alex, a Nigerian based in Spain walked through the KLM airline’s checking counter at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, he looked quite relaxed and full of life having had his traveling documents scrutinized and given the nod to proceed for boarding.

He had thought that few hours hence, he would be in Spain. However, he was to experience the shock of his life moments after his luggage were checked and discovered to be containing five fake traveler’s cheques all belonging to various multinational banks, valued at € 30,000..

Security personnel at the airport quickly took the suspect, who was traveling with passport No. A0283149, into custody, and he was subsequently transferred to the Special Fraud Unit, Milllvertion, Ikoyi Lagos for more investigations.

Crime Alert learnt that while the suspect was in the SFU’s custody, it was established that he was a regular patron of the notorious Oluwole market in Lagos Island, where fake items such as cheque books and traveler’s cheques, international passports, traveling documents, certificates of various higher institutions, various official stamps of government parastatals, corporate bodies and federal ministries, are produced.



A Source which pleaded for anonymity disclosed to Crime Alert that the suspects specialised in fake travelers cheques, which he disposed on arriving Europe. “While we grilled him, it was discovered that he has been in this act for a long time. All he does was to buy the fake travelers check from the Oluwole Market in Lagos Island and then takes them to Europe where he exchanges them for cash”, said the source.

But the source, also added that the police are unable to find the source of the the fake cheuqes while in Europe. “He has a source and contact man who might have been supplying him with those cheques while in Europe and we are frantically looking for him. These kinds of fraud operate as syndicate and if you must crack that syndicate and solve this crime completely, then you must go all out for the chief perpetrators. But if we get to Alex supplier then we can get the root of it all.”

While reacting to the allegations leveled against him, the suspect denied any wrong doing rather he claimed that the fake five travelers checks, which includes four Lloyds TSB Bank Plc cheques in the name of Lukman Olayinka Yusuf valued at € 16, 600.00, two blank U.S Bank Cashier’s cheques number 90-35821222, two Us U.S Bank Cashier’s cheques written in the name of Pend Hui Liu valued at $ 5,478.82, and another U.S Bank Cashier’s cheques No. 012635 without payee’s name omitted, two other sets of official cheque of the Guernsey Bank, Washinton, Ohio written in the name of Liu Pen Hui valued at $6,056.74, that were found in his luggage, were not his.

He stated that they were hidden in some food items he received form a friend’s brother in Nigeria. “ I am not the owner of those fake travelers cheques and I don’t know any thing about it. They were found inside some food items one of my friends in Spain. Otunba Kazeem Ishola Alabe, called me when I arrived Nigeria to tend to my sick mother, that his younger brother Murphy would send some food items to him through me. But on the day he brought item I was not at home to check them out. But I was shocked when they were detected at the airport.”

Continuing the Delta state born suspect said he has been residing in Spain for a long time without a criminal record. “ I am from Kwale Town in Ndokwa Local Government area of Delta State, I traveled to Spain by land through Morocco and Bamako in 2003 through the help of a friend I have known as Director. I stayed in Spain illegally for 2 years before I got my papers in 2005. Presently I work as a laborer at Contesa Building Construction Company.”

No matter how convincing the suspect’s tale sounded, at the completion of investigations, the Commissioner of Police in_charge of SFU, CP Chinwike Asadu, ordered his arraignment on a five count charge following which he was later remanded in prison custody.

The police boss also advised security agents at the airports on the need for thorough and painstaking checking of persons traveling in and out of the country so as to curb the excesses of desperate individuals who are bent on denting the image of the country.

 

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Officers also took legal action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize cash in 12 UK bank accounts and one bank account in Spain, as well as a house in the UK, an apartment in Spain, land in Brazil and more than £13,000-worth of jewellery.

THOUSANDS of dodgy goods including computer games, sunglasses and clocks totalling nearly £3 million were seized in the Black Country last year, the Birmingham Mail can reveal.

Sandwell Council trading standards officers smashed into the fake goods trade with a series of raids.

Officers also took legal action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize cash in 12 UK bank accounts and one bank account in Spain, as well as a house in the UK, an apartment in Spain, land in Brazil and more than £13,000-worth of jewellery.

Sandwell’s cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods, Coun Derek Rowley, said: “Our trading standards team is one of the best in the country and on the frontline in the battle against crime, reporting some spectacular successes.”


The successes are revealed in a round-up of activities for 2010. Among the most notable hauls were the seizures of 2,927 headphones worth up to £223,000 in February, and 600 items of fake designer clothing including Karen Millen dresses and UGG hats worth up to £2m in July.

March saw officers find 3,000 video games worth up to £440,736. This was followed in September by the seizure of 1,000 Nintendo DS games worth up to £18,000 and then 1,500 video games and 40 Xbox 360 consoles worth up to £50,000 three months later.

And in November handmade clocks containing trademarked images were seized.

Alongside the headline-grabbing results, the service carried out inspections and visits to combat rogue traders, check petrol pumps and assess food premises.

Meanwhile, the metrology unit brought in £80,000 with its state-of-the-art weights and measurement service to businesses, including names such as Rolls Royce.

“People selling fake goods are hitting reputable businesses that play by the rules and it is right they are brought to book,” added Coun Rowley.

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