Man jailed for circulating fake Bahraini dinars

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini man has been sentenced to five years in prison and fined 500 dinars after the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction for circulating counterfeit Bahraini currency.

The First Criminal Circuit also ordered the confiscation of seized items in the case involving 40 fake Bahraini dinars.

The case first came to light at a small hotel, where the defendant rented a room and paid 20 dinars in cash. After returning 10 dinars as change, the receptionist later became suspicious of one of the banknotes and discovered it was counterfeit, prompting a police report.

Hours later, a supermarket reported a similar incident, saying the same individual had used a fake 20-dinar note to purchase goods. Authorities launched an investigation and tracked the suspect before arresting him in a police sting operation.

During questioning, the defendant initially claimed he had unknowingly used counterfeit notes received from another person. However, further investigation revealed he later admitted knowing the money was fake and said he used it to pay for services and purchases while receiving genuine change.

A search of the suspect uncovered additional counterfeit notes hidden inside a cigarette pack, strengthening the evidence against him.

A forensic document examiner confirmed that the notes closely resembled genuine currency and could deceive ordinary individuals, but were in fact fake.

The Public Prosecution charged him with possessing and circulating counterfeit currency and unlawfully obtaining goods using fake money. The court ultimately upheld the conviction, imposing the prison sentence, fine, and confiscation order.