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Saudi held with counterfeit currency worth $96,000

It was morning rush hour at the centre and many of the staff were also not present. But a trained and experienced cashier smelled a rat and immediately reported the matter to his superiors at the exchange's main branch. In the meanwhile, Eissa was deliberately stalled with the excuse that the counting of the notes was taking time. A staff also took his passport as part of standard procedure for exchanging money.

After the matter was discussed between the centre's senior staff, Eissa was told the currency he had presented for exchange was counterfeit. According to Mithaiwala, Eissa said he had purchased the currency from an exchange house in Saudi Arabia. "He had difficulty understanding English, but he understood the word 'duplicate'. He did not panic upon being told of the fake currency, nor did he try to leave the exchange house," Mithaiwala said.

The matter was immediately reported to Dubai Police, and a team of 15 police officials, including CID officers, reached the exchange house and detained Eissa. Mithaiwala said that the report from the forensic lab confirmed the currency was counterfeit.

"The training we provide to our staff paid off. The cashier, Raju Chacko, was sharp to notice the fake notes, and we will be rewarding him financially for his good work," Mithaiwala said.

A source in Dubai Police confirmed the arrest and said that after investigations were complete, the case would be referred to the public prosecution.

• UAE